


Is It Scary?

by QueenAlien94



Series: Is It Scary [1]
Category: Football RPF
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Fluff, Heartbreak, Homophobic Language, M/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-22
Updated: 2015-01-18
Packaged: 2018-02-26 13:20:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2653433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenAlien94/pseuds/QueenAlien94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in 2012. Marco Reus has transferred to Dortmund and has a perfectly happy relationship with Carolin Bohs. Until he meets Mario, that is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Match

Marco swallowed hard as he walked into the changing rooms for the first time at Borussia Dortmund. He couldn’t recall ever being so self-conscious as he walked over to the far end and dumped his bag down onto the bench. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him as he stood in front of the bench, in front of his new number eleven shirt. He wasn’t sure why he felt so unsteady, so unsure of himself; he’d played with a number of the men around him in the national team and already met nearly all of them in games last season when he played for Mönchengladbach.

Jürgen Klopp burst into the room, his towering frame dwarfing every player there, and he stood before the team, his arms folded across his chest which was already dutifully bound with his crumpled tracksuit. He reminded Marco of the plumber he had at his house the previous weekend and Marco found himself hoping that Klopp’s crack wasn’t hanging out.

He made a mental note not to ever walk behind his coach.

“Well, boys, there’s really not a lot I can say. It’s the first game of the season and we’re playing against Bremen. This is an easy start. A win is not satisfactory. I want five-nil, minimum, understand?” The entire team muttered their agreement and Marco made sure he didn’t meet anyone else’s eye as Klopp nodded and opened the door ceremoniously, letting them into the tunnel.

“And Reus!” Marco spun around at the booming tone of his coach’s voice, “I took a risk putting you in the starting eleven, do not let me down.” Marco nodded at the instruction – Klopp’s comment certainly didn’t make him feel any better. He could actually feel himself start to shake as he stood at the back of the tunnel, ready to meet the other team and go on to the pitch.

“Don’t worry about Klopp, he’s nuts.” Marco turned to see Götze standing behind him, bouncing softly from side to side.

“I’m sorry?” Marco frowned, not having paid attention to what his team mate had said.

“Klopp. He’s nuts.” Götze said as he kept bouncing with a grin on his face.

“I’m not-Sorry, what are you doing?” Mario grinned wider as Marco spoke but he didn’t stop.

“Adrenaline is pumping. Aren’t you excited? I’m excited,” Mario said as he stopped bouncing and started jumping on the spot.

“How can you do that? I feel like I’m going to be sick.” Marco groaned and Mario put a hand on his back – still jumping.

“You will be fine. It’s all the adrenaline built up making you feel sick. Don’t worry; we’ll go to a strip club later.” Mario smiled like a Cheshire cat, not faltering even when Marco stared at him with his mouth open as if he’d just suggested killing a man.

“S-strip club? I thought you were trying to make me feel better?” Mario raised an eyebrow at Marco’s comment.

“That doesn’t make you feel better?” Mario cocked an eyebrow at Marco in confusion, “It makes me feel great!” Marco couldn’t help but smile at Mario as he got himself psyched up for the match. Marco paled as the tunnel doors opened and the team started making their way onto the pitch.

“Shit, I can’t do this!” Marco murmured to himself as he hung back, running a hand through his hair, feeling his stomach start to tighten. He jumped slightly as he felt a hand rest on his shoulder blade.

“You played for ‘Gladbach and beat us last season. You got this.” Marco turned his head to see Mario so close to him that he could feel Mario’s warm breath tickle his neck. The two men nodded at each other and proceeded down the tunnel until they were outside, facing the roaring crowd of the stadium.

The entire game passed in a blur for Marco. All he really registered was that they won 2-1, thanks to goals by Lewandowski and Mario and the fact that Klopp kept yelling at him. He didn’t truly come back to the real world until the team was back in their changing rooms, clapping each other on the back on a job well done and their first three points for the Bundesliga that season secured. That is, until Klopp came in. The room fell silent as he walked slowly to the front of the room, his expression unreadable.

“What was that?” He said, quietly but clearly. Marco looked up and saw Mario, who was busy rolling his eyes. “You let Bremen score against you? Two goals? Only two?” Klopp’s deep voice projected across the room and the whole team – bar Mario – hung their heads as if they were nine years old and being told off by their mother.

“Boss, we won. What’s the problem?” Everyone raised their heads to look at Mario in bewildered astonishment. Marco watched with wide eyes as Klopp zeroed in and focused on Mario, thunder marring his face.

“The problem, _Götze_ , is that if you can only score two goals against a team as pathetic as Bremen, how on Earth can you hope to compete with the might of Bayern Munich? You got your precious three points but don’t you dare think you did well today, because you didn’t. I’m disgusted with the lot of you.” And with that, Klopp stormed out, slamming the door behind them. Marco looked around at the subdued team and he honestly couldn’t remember the last time a manager got so irate over a 2-1 win.

After a moment of silence, the whole team erupted into peals of laughter, clapping each other on the back and high fiving each other while Marco looked on in confusion. Mario caught his eye and Marco watched as he jumped onto the bench.

“Quiet you pathetic bunch of bastards!” Trying to suppress their laughter, everyone complied and looked up at the young man, “Who the fuck do you think you are, scoring twice? I wanted fifty goals you gang of snotty little shits! You are my band of bastards and you shall play my merry tune!” The whole team doubled over with laughter and Mario jumped off the bench to sit back at his bench, joining in with the laughter around him while Marco continued to look around in astonishment.

“Reus!” Marco snapped his head up at the sound of his name from Mario, in a voice that was much too similar to Klopp’s for comfort, “You little bastard, I paid _one hundred billion_ for you and you didn’t score a goal? Fuck off!” Marco couldn’t help but laugh and returned Mario’s offered high five and they all laughed and shared jokes about their fiery manager and coach.

Still in a slight daze, Marco got showered and changed as quickly as he could but still ended up being the last of the team to leave the changing rooms. He grabbed his bag and left the changing room, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he walked across the car park.

“Reus!” Marco turned to see Mario standing by his own car and so he approached him.

“Hey, Götze,” Marco said with a yawn, the past few hours having exhausted him with all the nerves and excitement.

“You sure I can’t persuade you to come with me to a strip club? I know a good one in town.” Marco frowned and shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Uh, no, thanks. Naked girls with fake tits swinging around on a pole isn’t really my thing, sorry. And I’m really tired so I think I’m going to just crash.” Mario shrugged and nodded before opening his car door.

“No worries. See you at training Monday, Reus.” Mario flashed him one last dazzling smile before getting into his car and starting up his engine and Marco watched him drive away as he went to his own car and left the grounds himself.

Just an hour later, Marco was already in bed, barely able to keep his eyes open anymore. He was just about to drift off to sleep when his phone started vibrating, startling him awake.

_Hey Reus, shame you didn’t come with me. I’m having a great time! Better when not alone though._

Marco rolled his eyes and text Mario back straightaway.

_Sorry, naked women grinding against a pole is just a bit seedy for me._

Barely a minute after he’d sent his reply, Marco’s phone vibrated again.

_Who said the strippers were women?_

Marco’s eyes widened and his heart started pounding as he opened the picture Mario had attached to his text and saw himself looking at a naked man with a ripped chest and what must have been an eight inch cock dangling between his thighs.

“Wow.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario makes assumptions.

On his drive to Borussia Dortmund’s training ground, Marco felt himself becoming uneasy at the prospect of seeing Mario again. Marco hadn’t sent a text back in reply to Mario’s photo of a naked male stripper, partly because he didn’t know what to say and partly because he just felt uncomfortable. There were so many questions running around in his head. Was Mario gay? Was it a secret? Why did Mario invite him to go with him? Did Mario think Marco was gay? Or was it just a joke? A prank to welcome the new boy?

Marco shook his head, frowning. No, Mario was probably just winding him up to make him feel awkward.

Marco pulled into the car park and rolled his eyes as he saw the only parking spot left was next to Mario’s Land Rover. Typical. He parked anyway, grabbed his sports bag and made his way to the reception to check in and it was there that he found Mats Hummels wrestling with a vending machine.

“What are you doing?” Marco asked and Hummels turned his head in his direction with a scowl on his face.

“Klopp is on the warpath and there is no way I’m facing that bastard without a Red Bull!” Mats grumbled as he punched the side of the machine, angrily.

“Is it broken?”

“If it wasn’t before, it is now,” Marco’s head snapped around to see Mario emerge from the toilets with a wide grin on his face, “You know, Hummels, it generally works better if you put some nice shiny coins in there first.” Marco could see Mats grind his teeth in irritation at Mario’s sarcastic comment.

“Yes, yes, thank you Götze. Why don’t you fuck off?” Mario feigned outrage at Mats’s comment, gasping with indignation.

“Well excuse me! C’mon Marco, let’s leave this grumpy little shit to hump his little vending machine in peace,” Marco felt Mario’s hand clamp around his wrist and suddenly found himself being pulled along the hallway and to the changing rooms, which was empty.

“Where is everyone?” Marco asked and Mario shrugged nonchalantly.

“Out on the pitch, training already. Klopp doesn’t expect us to be outside for another twenty minutes, so you can chill for the moment.” Mario walked past Marco as he spoke and delved into his own bag, pulling out his kit for training. Marco looked at him as he, with his back to him, took off his shirt and he couldn’t help but look at his teammate’s tanned, sculpted back. Over the years, he’d seen other men get changed in front of him thousands of times but this was the first time he had actually, properly looked and seen the way his muscles moved as he rooted around in his bag and, eventually, when he stretched slightly to put his shirt on.

Marco quickly diverted his eyes and frowned to himself as Mario spun back around. He rubbed the back of his neck and bit his lip as he felt his pants start to tighten. He suddenly became thankful that he was wearing loose shorts.

“Chocolate?” Marco’s head snapped back up as he heard and felt Mario next to him again.

“What?” Marco asked, confused as he failed to register what he said.

“Chocolate?” Like a child, Mario stuck out a hand holding a bar of milk chocolate and Marco couldn’t help but look at him like he was a bit simple.

“I…uh-”

“Eat it,” Mario interrupted with a pout and Marco accepted, slowly unwrapping it as he kept his eyes on Mario as he sat on the bench opposite him, “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable on Saturday.” Marco froze with the chocolate halfway in his mouth at Mario’s comment. He really wasn’t expecting him to actually approach the issue.

“Well-”

“It’s just that I thought you were gay,” Mario interrupted Marco again and shuffled uncomfortably on the bench as Marco looked at him, looking somewhat appalled.

“G-gay?” Marco spluttered, “You thought I was _gay_?” Mario shrugged.

“I can usually tell but I guess I got it wrong this time. Look, no harm done, yeah?” Mario got up, smiled and nodded a little awkwardly before turning to leave.

“Are you gay?” Marco asked just as Mario reached for the door but he stopped.

“Bisexual.”

“Oh.” And Mario left to go onto the pitch. Marco sat on the bench for a moment, absentmindedly eating the chocolate he had been gifted as he mulled over the short conversation. He wasn’t gay, he knew that. How could he be? He’d been with Mona in Rot Weiss Ahlen and was currently very happily in a committed relationship with Carolin. Sure, he very occasionally found men attractive but had never dreamed of actually doing anything with them. He liked women. He fancied women. He jacked off over lesbian porn. He fucked _women_. He didn’t fancy men. He didn’t watch gay porn. He didn’t fuck men.

“I got red bull!” Mats burst into the changing rooms, waving around two cans of energy drink with a wide grin plastered across his face, his expression a world away from the angrily impatient man Marco saw just minutes earlier.

“Congratulations?”

***

With a sigh, Marco let himself back into his house, situated on the outskirts of the city of Dortmund. Compared to most footballers playing for Borussia, his house was relatively modest; it only had two floors and five bedrooms. Compared to Humells’ elaborate mansion of four floors with two pools, as sauna, nine bedrooms and an underground cinema, Marco’s house was practically squalor. He had only been living back in Dortmund for a month and Carolin was already moaning at him to buy somewhere bigger and ‘better’.

He trudged his way out to his kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge before sighing as he fell down onto the white leather sofa in his dining room.

Marco had managed to avoid Mario for the whole training session since Klopp had paired him with Lewandowski but he knew Mario kept looking at him – he could feel his gaze on him when his back was turned.

Marco’s phone vibrated in his pocket so he fished it out to find a message from Mario.

_Hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable._

Marco raised an eyebrow and toyed with his phone as he contemplated his response. What was he meant to say? _Well, yes, you made me feel extremely uncomfortable because now I feel like you want to rape me_. Somehow, he didn’t think that would give rise to the best working relationship. But then, he couldn’t exactly say: _Not at all! In fact, please rip off my shorts and butt fuck me_.

_No. I don’t care who you sleep with._

Ok. That was good. That way, he wasn’t homophobic but also made it clear that he wasn’t interested, either. Running a tired hand through his hair, Marco stood to go and get another beer when his phone vibrated again.

_Ok well good. But I have a gf so please don’t tell anyone._

Marco frowned at his phone.

_If it’s a secret, why did you tell me?_

Mario text back almost instantly.

_I thought you were gay._

Marco growled at Mario’s final text and threw his phone back down onto the sofa in anger. There is was again, Mario saying that he thought he was gay. Why? How dare he! How dare he make such assumptions! It was common knowledge that he was with Carolin. And what was it that Mario wanted? To fuck him behind his supposed girlfriend’s back? Behind Carolin’s back?

Mario Götze was rapidly becoming one of Marco’s least favourite people.


	3. Ghost Horse

Marco was lying in bed with his iPad. He was initially just browsing social media; checking his private Facebook messages and posting a sleepy selfie on Instagram. Carolin was away for the week in Madrid with her sister, no doubt going on a shopping spree with his credit card buying yet more clothes that she really didn’t need nor have any room for.

A message popped up from Facebook from Mario.

_Wanna go to a bar?_

Marco checked the time. 8PM. He wouldn’t have minded going out for a drink but he and Mario hadn’t even spoken to each other since their awkward conversation about each other’s sexuality.

_No thanks, I need to catch up on sleep for training tomorrow._

Not strictly true since Marco always made sure he slept for nine hours.

_We haven’t got training tomorrow. Klopp gave us the day off, remember?_

Shit. Marco had forgotten about that. And he didn’t even have the excuse that he was staying in with Carolin. Marco was always polite, so much so that he often irritated himself, and so he couldn’t just tell Mario to fuck off.

_Oh ok then. Where shall I meet you?_

_I’ll pick you up in 30._

Marco wondered momentarily how Mario would know where he lived but that thought vanished when he suddenly realised that he had only thirty minutes to get ready.

His hair took twenty so that left him with just ten for him to get ready in an absolute flap and he found himself wearing a pair of red jeans with a blue shirt when he looked at himself in the mirror.

“What the fuck am I wearing?” Marco despaired and was just about to get changed when his phone vibrated with a text from Mario saying he was outside.

“Shit!” Reluctantly, Marco grabbed a jacket and rushed out of his house to see Mario in his driveway in his burgundy Land Rover. Mario opened the passenger door and smiled as Marco got in.

“Hey, how are you?” Mario asked cheerfully and Marco nodded, somewhat uneasily.

“Yeah, I’m good, you?” Marco asked in reply as Mario pulled out of the driveway and started driving through the narrow street slowly.

“I’m fine, I wanted to get out this evening and I knew Carolin was with Ann-Kathrin in Madrid so-”

“You know Ann-Kathrin?” Marco interrupted and Mario looked at him, amused.

“I hope so, she’s my girlfriend!” Mario laughed as he picked up the speed as they got onto a main road.

“ _Ann-Kathrin_ is your girlfriend?” Mario shrugged at Marco and nodded.

“Yeah. She’s the kind of girl everyone expected me to date, so I am. She’s an alright girl, just a bit…dumb so we aren’t very compatible.” Marco had to stop himself from laughing. Mario had to be one of the simplest people he knew.

“I see. So…uh…where are we going?” Mario turned to him and smiled.

“There’s a bar downtown that will probably be quite quiet, so I thought we’d go there.” It didn’t take long before Mario was pulling into the car park at the back of a bar. It was only when Marco stepped out of the car and looked up at the building when he saw that it was a _wine bar_.

“We’ve come to a wine bar?” Mario nodded at Marco.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I like wine.” Mario grinned and Marco nodded slowly, inwardly groaning as Mario led the way inside the bar and sure enough, when they went inside and Marco looked around, all he could see was couple sharing bottles of red wine. The lighting was dim, there were scented candles dotted around and the music was quiet. It was quite obvious to Marco that the atmosphere had been specifically designed to be romantic.

Marco followed Mario to the back of the bar and into a booth, away from the rest of the customers and as soon as they sat down, a waitress approached them with a soft smile and two menus.

“Hello, my name is Sophia and I will be your personal waitress tonight,” She spoke with a voice as soft as her smile, “Here is the wine menu,” She handed them both a leather backed menu, “Would you like to start with a complementary glass of Champagne while you peruse?” Marco was stunned by the formal nature and could only manage a nod.

“Great! I’ll be back in just a moment.” Sophia sauntered off and Marco sat in stunned silence as Mario happily opened his menu and started studying it with furrowed eyebrows.

“Mario?” Mario looked up at the sound of Marco’s voice with wide eyes.

“Yes?” Marco rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Was this…is this supposed to be a date?” Mario raised an eyebrow at Marco’s question.

“What makes you think that?” Mario asked quite innocently, his wide eyes still quite clueless.

“Are you kidding?” Marco hissed, rather exasperated, “I took Carolin to the Eiffel Tower last Valentine’s Day and it wasn’t as romantic as this!” Mario shook his head with a roll of his eyes.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” And just as Mario dismissed Marco’s concerns, a blonde woman with a black evening gown started playing the violin just metres from their table, “We’re just here to have some wine in peace, what’s wrong with that?” Sophia returned with a glass of Champagne for each of them.

“Right, Gentlemen, what can I get you?”

“A bottle of Ghost Horse, please.” Sophia’s smile widened at Mario’s order and Marco could see why with him ordering a 400 Euro bottle of wine.

“Very good, Sir. I will be just a moment.” She took their menus and flounced off with a sway of her hips.

“Why are you so convinced that I want to get you into bed? Did it ever cross your mind that I just want to be friends?” Marco didn’t reply to Mario straightaway and his words hung in the air for a moment while he considered his response.

“You…you thought I was gay!” Marco hissed, but felt pathetic as he did so.

“So I made a mistake about your sexuality. Who cares? Even when I thought you were gay, all I did was invite you to a male strip club,” Mario sighed and drank his glass of Champagne down in one.

“But I thought-”

“Yes, Marco, I know what you _thought_. But you wouldn’t have batted an eyelid if I’d invited you to a female strip club. And you haven’t given a second thought to the fact that I have a girlfriend.”

“A girlfriend that you’re only with for your image!” Mario leaned back in his chair and sighed.

“Can we just end this conversation? You’re not gay and we are both in relationships so this is moo!” Mario exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration.

“Moo?” Marco asked with amusement while Mario glared at him.

“Yes! Moo!” Mario hissed, “You’re not gay and we are both in relationships so this conversation is irrelevant. Moo!” Marco couldn’t help but smile and give a small laugh.

“Don’t you mean, this conversation is ‘moot’?” Marco asked but Mario looked at him like he was stupid.

“No, I don’t, actually. I mean, moo. What cows say is irrelevant, it’s moo. Our conversation is irrelevant, so it’s also moo.” Marco stared at Mario with bewilderment but could see that Mario had no idea what on Earth he was saying.

“Yep, ok, then. It’s moo.” Marco gave in as Sophia approached them with their bottle of wine. She popped the cork and presented Mario with the cork.

“Would Sir like to try the vintage?” Mario raised an eyebrow at her.

“No. Give us the bottle!” Taken aback, Sophia complied and set the bottle down on their table, clearly clueless as to how to react.

“Um, yes, Sir. Enjoy!” She flustered, turned on her heel and rushed away, leaving Mario to pour out two glasses of the red wine.

“I wasn’t surprised when Klopp signed you. You played brilliantly for ‘Gladbach,” Mario took a long sip of his wine, “I’m not afraid to say that I admired you.” Mario smiled and Marco couldn’t help but blush as he took a sip from his own glass of wine, he never had been very good at accepting compliments.

“Thank you,” Marco bowed his head, “I’m not sure I’m really worthy of admiration though…not yet, anyway,” He grinned and Mario returned the smile as they both took a drink.

They drank the rest of the bottle before ordering another. The night flowed easier and easier as the night went on and the laughs became easier and the compliments flowed more freely. Sophia stayed away from their table and Marco sensed her disapproving stare with her lips only curling into a smile when they signalled for another bottle. After their third bottle, she approached them without invitation.

“I do apologise, gentlemen but the bar is just about to close and I’m afraid I must present you with the bill.” Mario reached into his wallet and threw down 1500 Euros before standing, albeit slightly shaky on his feet and grabbed Marco’s hand, yanking him up too.

“Mario!” Marco exclaimed before doubling over with laughter while Mario laughed at him laughing before pulling him to the exit. As soon as they hit the cool Autumn air, Marco gasped and started chattering his teeth, despite the fact that it was not nearly cold enough to warrant such an action.

“I drunk…I call taxi!” Mario slurred as he stumbled over to the step and slumped down before Marco fell down on the step beside him, resting his head on Mario’s shoulder as he phoned for a taxi. They both sat on the step as they waited for the taxi, Marco with his head on Mario’s shoulder, his eyes closed and his mouth wide open and Mario with his arm around Marco’s waist.

When the taxi arrived, Marco’s eyes fluttered open and Mario had to haul him up and help him into the backseat before climbing in after him. Marco had slumped into the backseat, though his eyes were wide open.

“Oh Marco! You’re drunk! You’re drunk!” Mario laughed as Marco shook his head indignantly.

“No I’m not! You’re drunk!” They both looked at each other for a moment before bursting back into fits of giggles, like a couple of teenage girls who’d just had their first drink. As they settled back down again, Marco lay against Mario’s side again as the taxi drove onto the main highway out to the outskirts of Dortmund, where they both lived. Mario smiled down at Marco and put his arms around his shoulders, bringing him closer to him.

Before long, the taxi had arrived at Marco’s house and Mario gently shook him back to full consciousness.

“Am I home?” Marco asked, sleepily.

“Yeah,” Mario smiled as Marco looked up at him.

“Do you want to come in?” Marco asked but Mario shook his head.

“No, I need to go home.” But they kept looking at each other and Marco suddenly realised that his vision wasn’t nearly as clear as it usually was as a warm hand cupped his cheek and turned him to face him.

“You _are_ worthy of admiration, Marco.” Mario smiled down at him and Marco could feel his stomach tighten and his eyes widen as Mario leaned down to kiss him gently, almost innocently. Marco was stunned but didn’t do anything to stop it until Mario broke away from his lips and Marco sat up and backed away from him. He opened the car door and more or less fell out onto his driveway.

The implications of Mario’s actions didn’t register in his alcohol riddled mind until Marco stumbled into his hallway and shut the door behind him.

“Fuck!”


	4. Shaggy Dog

Marco’s head hurt when he woke up the next morning. It hurt bad. Really bad. He closed his eyes again and jerked his body, groaning when he realised what had woken him up. Without opening his eyes, he fumbled around himself in bed and found his phone, answering the call.

“’lo?”  Marco mumbled, slurring in his sleep addled state.

“Marco! Were you asleep? It’s half past eleven!” Marco winced as he heard Carolin’s screech on the other end of the line. He silently yawned and forced himself to open his eyes and sit up in bed.

“Hey, baby…how are you?” Marco somehow managed to speak coherently.

“Never mind that a minute! Why were you in bed? Shouldn’t you be at training?” Marco rubbed at his temple impatiently.

“I don’t have training today, Carolin.” He could sense his disapproving look.

“So? You should go anyway and make a good impression!” Marco rolled his eyes.

“Yes, thank you Carolin. What was it you wanted?”

“Oh, I was just wondering your neck size.”

“My…what?” Marco really didn’t want to deal with her at that moment, not with his blinding headache.

“Your neck size. I want to get you a shirt.” She said, irritatingly cheerfully.

“A _shirt_?”

“Yes, Marco. A shirt,” She said with a huff, clearly sensing that Marco wasn’t especially enthused, “I wanted to get you a nice present, I thought you’d appreciate it!”

“You’re in Madrid and you thought it would be _nice_ to buy me a shirt? You’re using _my_ money! I can get a shirt in Dortmund!” Marco said, rather exasperated at having been woken up with a splitting headache just because of a damn shirt.

“Well if you’re going to be like that then I won’t bother! So don’t come crying to me when you haven’t got a shirt!” She shrilled and hung up the phone, leaving Marco to throw his across his bed, wincing only slightly when it fell onto the floor.

“Stupid cow.” He muttered before settling back down in bed, fully intending to go right back to sleep when his phone started vibrating on his wooden floor.

“Fuck sake!” Marco cursed, rolling over in bed to grab his phone from the floor.

_Love you sweetie xxxxxxxxxxxx_

Was there really any need for her to put so many kisses on the end of a text? Marco wondered as he tucked his phone back underneath his pillow and lay back down in bed, sighing heavily.

He was just on the cusp of sleep when he started thinking about the night before. About the romantic bar. About the wine. About how drunk they both were. About the taxi.

About the kiss.

With a hammering heart, Marco sat straight up in bed with wide eyes, his headache suddenly disappearing. He frowned and held his head in his hands as he tried to recall the incident but he couldn’t remember the context; he couldn’t remember who kissed who.

He could still remember Mario’s smile just slightly too close to him. He could remember Mario’s warm breath against his lips. He could remember Mario’s arm around his waist as he pulled him close. He could remember the kiss being soft and leisurely; he knew it hadn’t been sordid.

Marco rolled out of bed and paced slowly to his bathroom, sitting on the toilet. He was tempted to phone Mario and let out all of his sudden frustrations but he knew that this couldn’t be resolved over the phone. So Marco flushed and went back to the bedroom, slowly and sleepily getting dressed while trying to push the incident to the back of his mind – he didn’t even want to think about it until he got to Mario’s place.

He drove the short drive, just a suburb away, to Mario’s house – one that was substantially bigger and much more lavish than Marco’s own – and he jumped out of his car, storming straight to the front door, where he proceeded to hammer on it.

“Hey, Mar-” Mario greeted Marco cheerfully, with a wide smile but Marco was quick to cut him off.

“You kissed me.” Marco accused Mario and his cheerful mood disappeared, instantly replaced with a look that rather resembled a deer caught in headlights.

“I…well, I-”

“Do _not_ try to make excuses! I was drunk and you took advantage of me!” Marco was nearing shouting now and as he saw Mario looking almost frightened, looking down at the floor and biting his feet, he did feel bad but he couldn’t stop himself. He needed to make his point.

“I didn’t mean to!” Mario whimpered, “I was drunk too and I thought that…maybe…maybe you wanted it too…” Mario trailed off, his eyes still firmly fixed on his feet which was proving irritating to Marco.

“Look at me! Can’t you even look at the man you forced yourself on?” At Marco’s demand, Mario reluctantly looked up while chewing on his bottom lip, “Who do you think you are, kissing me like that? I could punch you for that!” Marco could see the fear in Mario’s eyes, but still he couldn’t bring himself to stop, “In fact, maybe I will. How about that?” Marco didn’t mean it – he wasn’t really going to punch Mario – but he felt his stomach drop as Mario looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Marco! Please don’t let my stupid, drunken actions affect our friendship!” Mario pleaded, his knuckles turning white as he held onto the front door handle ever tighter.

“If you come anywhere near me again, I’ll let it be known that you’re a little faggot, understand?” Marco spat and Mario nodded pathetically as Marco turned to go back to his car.

Marco’s back was turned when a tear rolled down Mario’s cheek.

When Marco got back into his car, he took a deep breath before driving away, trying but failing to ignore a dejected Mario hang his head as he solemnly shut the front door.

Marco spent the rest of the day nursing his splitting headache and attempting to forget about the terrible things he said to Mario. He tried to justify it to himself. He tried to tell himself that Mario deserved it. If Mario didn’t want to be yelled at, then he should throw himself at straight men with girlfriends, Marco told himself.

Not that he really believed any of it, though. And nothing was helping him to not feel like a massive douchebag.

The next day, Marco got ready for training on auto pilot. He told himself that he would push the whole episode with Mario out of his mind and just concentrate on being professional. But as he stepped out of the car, he realised that that might be slightly difficult.

“Reus! _Reus_! REUS!” Marco rolled his eyes as he turned to see Mats waving to him from his car as he drove into the car lot, his head lolling out the window like a dog. With only a slight grimace, Marco smiled dutifully and put up his hand as a wave, dutifully waiting as Mats parked and practically skipped over to him.

“Hey, Hummels.” Marco looked up at Mats with tired eyes; he wasn’t sure he was quite up for Mats’ level of enthusiasm.

They walked into the training ground reception and Marco paid no attention to his team mate as he rambled on about some “fine piece of ass” he’d banged at the weekend. All night long, apparently.

“I had her against the wall, in the shower, over the bathroom sink! Y’know, I don’t even think we made it to the bed! And I just slammed-”

“Reus!” Marco snapped his head up at the sound of his name and saw Robert’s head pop out from the men’s toilets, “Get in here.” Marco frowned, confused and turned to Mats, who was looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

“Well, I have to get changed-”

“Get in here, Reus. Now.” Robert looked at him with venom in his eyes and Marco found himself nodding and approaching the bathrooms while Mats looked at him with confusion. He was undoubtedly a little disappointed he wasn’t able to finish his dirty story too, Marco supposed.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Marco sighed and went into the bathroom behind Robert. Marco didn’t even have the chance to contemplate what was happening when Robert grabbed him by his collar and slammed him against the wall behind him.

“What the fuck! Let me go!” Marco protested but Robert just snarled.

“Look what you’ve done to him.” Robert indicated with his head over to the corner where Mario was standing, looking at them both and wiping his flushed red cheeks with his sleeves. Seeing Mario try to contain his tears – and failing miserably – was like a punch to Marco’s stomach because he knew he’d caused it.

“Mario, I-”

“Don’t talk to him, you’ve done enough damage you fucking bastard!” Robert hissed, trying to keep his voice down, “You should just be happy that he made me promise not to rip your balls off!” Marco’s heart was hammering so hard, he was surprised that it wasn’t jumping up his throat. It was only being made worse by the soft sounds of Mario’s whimpers.

“Look, _he_ kissed _me_ when I was pissed! What would you have done?” Marco tried to justify himself but Robert wasn’t having any of it and just slammed him even harder against the wall, making Marco groan as his head smashed against the brick wall.

“I would _not_ have screamed at my teammate like a little bitch and made him feel like that!” Robert pointed at Mario, who was still sobbing quietly, “He’s a twenty year old footballer, Marco! Don’t you think it’s difficult enough for him to like men?” Marco dared to look over to Mario, who had stopped crying and was now just peering up at him with big, bright red eyes. Marco cursed himself as he felt a tugging in his chest.

“I’m sorry,” Marco whispered, which only earned him a tearful hiccup from Mario and a low growl from Robert before he let Marco go.

“Go get changed. And leave him,” He pointed at Mario, “alone. Understand?”


	5. Crying

Marco found it impossible to get the image of Mario’s puffy red eyes and scarlet cheeks out of his head.

It was 3AM and Marco couldn’t fall asleep. Carolin had come home from Madrid the day before and having her heavily perfumed body draped around him wasn’t exactly helping.

Mario didn’t attend training that day. Or the next day. Or the day after that. Klopp must have been given a reason because he didn’t mention his absence and Mario had been omitted from the starting eleven for the game at the weekend which probably contributed to them only drawing with Frankfurt. Robert was giving Marco a wide berth too, which in turn led to the likes of Kevin and Sven not paying him much mind either. After a week of training without Mario and with most of the team – bar Mats – avoiding him, Marco couldn’t help but congratulate himself on a job well done. He’d alienated most of his team, acquired a friend who reminded him of a horny shaggy dog and worst of all, he’d apparently made the most talented young player on the team feel so awful that he couldn’t come to training.

“Are you still awake?” Marco sighed and gave Carolin a squeeze.

“Yeah, I can’t sleep.” Marco murmured and Carolin turned on her side, lazily stroking Marco’s chest as she ran her lips softly across his collarbone.

“How about another round? That might tire you out,” She giggled and Marco rolled his eyes. It had taken long enough to get an erection earlier that evening, he certainly wasn’t up to doing it again.

“I’m just a bit stressed. I’m beginning to regret moving to Dortmund,” Marco sighed quietly to himself, stopping himself from growling with irritation as Carolin ran a hand through his hair. He knew she was trying to be comforting, but didn’t she know by now that he didn’t like people touching his fucking hair?

“I like that you transferred,” Marco gritted his teeth as she started speaking, “I had such a great time in Madrid with Ann and she was saying how much Mario was looking forward to working with you.” Marco frowned, both irritated about how she managed to make it all about her and about how she mentioned Mario which only caused his heart to start hammering. He ignored her and she must have thought he'd fallen asleep as she cuddled into his chest and started snoring a few minutes later.

Marco must have fallen asleep eventually as he found himself being shook awake at seven o’clock. He reluctantly opened his eyes to find Carolin’s grinning face hovering above his and it took a great deal of effort for Marco not to tell her to fuck off. He reluctantly kissed her and, on auto pilot, he got out of bed, showered, dressed, ate breakfast and gave Carolin one last hug before driving to training. When he got to the car park, he blinked a couple of times and realised that he couldn’t even remember driving the route to the grounds. In his haste to leave his house – and Carolin – he’d left way too early and was now sitting in an empty car park. He supposed that wasn’t too bad, he had a moment to hims-

_I just saw you pull up. I’m inside._

Marco swallowed at the text from Mario – the first he’d received from Mario in a week – and hesitantly grabbed his sports bag and left his car, heading for the reception. He signed in and went straight to the changing rooms, where he found Mario sitting on a bench, wearing a royal blue Ralph Lauren tracksuit. Marco couldn’t help but think he looked equally as ridiculous as he looked kind of adorable. Marco frowned at his own thought and shook his head.

“I didn’t see your car in the car park.” Marco found himself saying and he inwardly groaned at his pointless comment.

“I got a taxi. I was drinking last night and couldn’t face driving,” Mario mumbled and Marco nodded awkwardly as he sat on the bench opposite him, “Ann and Carolin came back last night,” Mario murmured and Marco rubbed the back of his neck at the mention of his girlfriend.

“Yeah…um, she said they-”

“Ann knows that we kissed,” Mario cut him off.

“What?” Marco asked, stunned.

“I told her,” Mario admitted, his head bowed so he was unable to see Marco grit his teeth with growing anger.

“What! Why would you do that? No one knew! No one would have told her!” Marco asked, exasperated as he looked at Mario who continued to look at his feet, his hands now visibly shaking.

“Robert knew,” Mario pointed out, “But that’s beside the point. I thought she had a right to know why I was breaking up with her.” Marco swallowed hard at Mario’s admission.

“You broke up with her?” Marco croaked.

“Yes,” Mario nodded, “Since we kissed, I’ve realised that…while I am still attracted to women…I don’t want to be in a relationship with one. I want a man.” Marco peered at Mario as he confessed, a frown still upon his face.

“And you want me to be that man?” Marco asked, hoping that he was being absurd but Mario just shrugged.

“I don’t know…maybe,” Mario sighed and held his head in his hands, “If you were into men then I would say yes. But you’re adamant that you're not so I won’t. But I don’t want this to affect our working relationship. I think we could work well together on the pitch and I don’t want this…personal…stuff to affect our game. So can we just call a truce?” Mario nervously held out his hand for Marco to shake but Marco just looked at it before looking at Mario with anger burning in his eyes.

“You told Ann.” Marco muttered darkly and Mario shakily dropped his hand.

“Y-yes, but I-”

“She’s going to tell Carolin.” Marco growled as Mario swallowed hard.

“I…I think-” Mario stuttered but Marco jumped up and grabbed Mario by the scruff of his collar and hauled him up before slamming him against the wall while trying to ignore Mario’s tearful whimpers.

“If Ann tells Carolin that you, _you_ , forced yourself on me, I will rip your fucking balls off. I don’t give a shit if you run and tell Robert, understand?” Marco tried to ignore the tug on his heart as he saw Mario’s eyes fill up with tears as he whimpered and sobbed quietly, “Do you understand!” Marco barked and Mario nodded quickly, choking on his own tears when Marco released him and pushed him harshly towards the door. Mario took the opportunity to run out of the changing rooms, leaving Marco to slump back down onto the bench.

He knew it was harsh but Marco told himself that it was necessary, that it had to be done. Mario had to learn that you couldn’t just force yourself on people, run your mouth about it and expect there not to be any consequences. He was just a kid and kids had to be taught lessons.

“Hey Marco,” Marco looked up at the mention of his voice to see Kevin Groβkreutz come into the changing rooms. Since Robert had been avoiding him, Kevin hadn't spoken to him either unless necessary and Marco was unsure how to act around him. Ever since he’d transferred to Dortmund, he hadn’t been able to look at Kevin without being pretty damn sure that if he hadn’t become a footballer, Kevin would have become some sort of professional criminal who specialised in mugging people for petty change. He certainly had the face for it, “Why is Götze crying again?” Marco choked on his own breath as Kevin spoke and shifted uncomfortably.

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen him since…” Marco trailed off, “Hold on, what do you mean ‘again’?” Kevin shrugged as he stripped off his t-shirt and changed into the team strip.

“Well, Ann was away this week so me and Robert went over there for a few weeks and it was obvious he’d been crying when we arrived and he started crying when he’d had a few beers.”

“Why was he crying?” Marco asked, trying to be nonchalant but Kevin just shrugged.

“Well he was pretty incoherent but I heard something about him kissing someone…I don’t know the details but I gathered that he must have cheated on Ann,” Marco swore he could actually feel his blood pressure dropping as Kevin spoke and he wondered if Kevin knew who Mario had kissed, “He must be crazy to cheat on her. She’s fucking stunning. And her tits are just-”

“Do you mind?” Marco cut him off, “That’s my girlfriend’s best friend you’re talking about so I’d rather not hear you talk about her chest.”

Most of the team had come into the changing rooms now, including Mats and Robert – who couldn’t resist glaring at Marco – but Mario still hadn’t reappeared and Marco was beginning to worry that he had already been scared off again. Marco jumped as he heard his phone vibrate in his bag beside him with a text from Mario.

_I’m sitting on your car._

Marco checked the time. 08:45 and Klopp still wasn’t there. He found himself rushing out of the changing rooms, ignoring the questions and calls from his teammates. Sure enough, when Marco made his way outside, he found Mario sitting on the bonnet of his car, dangling his legs which didn’t even touch the ground.

“You should think about breaking up with Carolin.” Mario looked Marco in the eye as he spoke and realised that he’d never heard Mario speak so confidently and with such conviction.

“I’m sorry?”

“You and I both know that you responded when we kissed. We both know that you liked it.” Marco stared at Mario, slack jawed.

“You think I’m going to dump my girlfriend just because you forced yourself on me? Are you high?” Marco asked, exasperated but Mario simply shrugged.

“We also both know that Ann will tell Carolin that we kissed-”

“That _you_ kissed _me_!” Marco corrected and Mario rolled his eyes.

“Whatever!  Ann will tell Carolin and do you really want her to hear that from Ann instead of you? I think you need to finish with her and have a long think about your sexuality. I saw your face, felt your heart and felt your lips that night. And take it from me, _Reus_ : you are not straight.” Marco growled as Mario finished speaking and shook his head.

"I am not like you. I am not a faggot."


	6. Mirrors

“I am not a faggot. I am not a faggot. I am _not_ a faggot!” Marco repeated over and over as he stared at himself in his bathroom mirror. It had been a long, long day and the mantra was the only thing that was stopping him from falling to the floor and screaming in anguish.

It had started relatively normally. Marco had been a little tense when he woke up, as he had been every morning when he woke up for the past week, worried that Ann-Kathrin had had a late night phone call with Carolin and told her everything. However, his concerns proved to be in vain when Carolin delivered him a plate of breakfast waffles with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream in bed to kick start his day off. They cuddled in bed as they shared the plate of food and watched some crappy morning television.

They spent the whole morning in each other’s arms, lazily kissing and discussing their memories: where they first met, their first kiss and the first time they made love. For the first time in months, Marco found himself attracted to Carolin and he remembered why he fell in love with her three years earlier. She was soft, warm and feminine. She smelt sweet and attractive and looked even better.

“Do you ever think about us getting married?” Carolin murmured as she lay her head against Marco’s chest and ran her fingernails lightly over his stomach. Marco shrugged as he ran his fingers through her hair.

“Sometimes,” Marco kissed the top of her head as he spoke without thought.

“It’s just…well I was thinking,” Carolin turned in Marco’s arms to lie on her stomach so she was looking up at him, “What if we got engaged?” Marco stiffened at her suggestion, his breath catching in his throat.

“W-what? Engaged?” He somehow managed to choke out.

“Yeah. I hate just being your girlfriend, it makes it sound like we aren’t serious especially when most of your teammates are married to their partners. I just want to make us official! I love you, Marco and I want us to be together forever.” Marco was only half listening as Carolin rambled nervously, he was too stunned.

“We’ve never even discussed marriage before.” Carolin shrugged at Marco’s comment.

“I know but…doesn’t the time feel right? You’re at a new club and this is a fresh start for us!” Marco looked down at Carolin, his hand still petting her hair lightly, as he tried to figure out what to say and do.

“W-well…I-I don’t-”

“Marry me, Marco.”

As Marco stared at himself in the mirror, he recalled the conversation he’d had with Carolin that morning and the question that she asked screamed at him from the back of his head. _She_ actually asked _him_ to marry her! That wasn’t the way he wanted it to happen. Well, honestly, he had never even thought of proposing to her – not for a long time, anyway. And the fact that she had asked him made him feel horribly guilty. He should have given her the works. He should have taken her to Paris or New York. He should have bought a horrifically expensive diamond ring. He should have prepared a speech, declaring his undying love for her. Instead of that, she had asked him while they were in bed during a time where he had been questioning their relationship.

He had said yes, of course. How could he not? He couldn’t reject her. He couldn’t crush her dreams. And he couldn’t let the relationship end. He didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea.

As Marco stared at himself, he recalled that afternoon.

Not long after Marco had accepted her proposal of marriage, Carolin had messaged a dozen of her closest friends – including Ann-Kathrin – and had gone out to announce their news. Marco had thought that they should announce it together but she’d run off with an excited squeal before he had mustered the energy and conviction to say anything. He paced the floor in the bedroom with his stomach growing ever tighter as the realisation of what he had done dawned upon him.

He had agreed to marry Carolin.

Marco wasn’t even sure he wanted to be in a relationship with her at all. Yes, the morning had been pleasant, warm and loving but it hadn’t been enough to convince him that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

He didn’t know what possessed him to do it, but Marco found himself sending a text.

_I’m in trouble. Please come to mine._

Ok, Marco knew the text message sounded dramatic but he was in a panic and not half an hour after he sent the message, there was a knock at his front door. Marco flew down the stairs and threw open the door to find Mario standing on his doorstep, wearing an awkward smile.

“I…I didn’t think you were speaking to me,” Mario said quietly as he stepped inside, as if he was afraid to say anything.

“Me and Carolin are engaged,” Marco blurted out, finding himself unable to meet Mario’s eyes after he caught the look of bewilderment on his face.

“Oh.” Mario said, nodding slowly.

“Oh?”

“Well…uh, congratulations.” Mario said, without a shred of sincerity. The two men stood opposite each other in Marco’s hallway uncomfortably for a moment, neither really knowing what to say.

“But I thought you said you were in trouble?” Mario asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She proposed to me,” Marco shoved his hands in his pockets, bowing his head, “I’m not sure if I want to be engaged.” He shrugged and went into the lounge with Mario following. He sat gingerly on the edge of one of the sofas and gestured for Mario to sit on the one opposite.

“Does she know about…” Mario trailed off and Marco shook his head, “Do you love her?” Marco shrugged, feeling completely helpless.

“She reminded me this morning of why I fell in love with her and why she deserves my love but…I don’t know if I can honestly say that I love her.” There was a silence between the two men as they both sat uncomfortably, neither of them knowing what to say.

“Did you think about what I said?” Mario asked and Marco shook his head.

“I’m not gay,” Marco said with gritted teeth and Mario nodded.

“I don’t want you to get upset but did you ever…experiment?” Mario caught the anger in Marco’s eyes and quickly tried to justify himself, “I-it’s just that…well…I mean, that’s how I realised that I'm bisexual. I started experimenting when I was 16 and th-that’s how I realised that I like men too,” Mario babbled, only calming when he saw Marco relax, “I never looked at men in that way before. I never even thought about it. Maybe the reason why you’re getting so freaked out about it now is because for the first time…you’re thinking about it? And it’s scaring you?” Marco looked up at Mario as he chewed at his bottom lip.

“I’m not gay,” Marco spoke so quietly that Mario only just heard him.

“Experimenting doesn’t make you gay,” Mario said gently, “I know you liked our kiss a-and that’s ok. It’s not a big deal and it doesn’t make you gay.” There was a pause.

“I did like it.” Marco whispered, unable to form a coherent sound.

“It doesn’t make you gay,” Mario reiterated, biting his lip. Mario moved from his sofa to Marco’s and he put an arm around him, drawing him in for a hug. Marco clung to Mario’s back for a moment, breathing in Mario’s scent.

“So…if we kissed now…would that make me gay?” Marco whispered, as if he was afraid to actually say it and Mario shook his head as he slowly brought his hand to Marco’s neck. They both closed their eyes as their lips met in a kiss. Marco was overwhelmed by the pleasant tightening in his stomach, by the subtle musky scent of Mario’s aftershave and, as he wrapped his arms around Mario’s waist, he was struck by the hard muscles of his body which were so unfamiliar and yet somehow deeply comforting. Before Marco knew what was happening, Mario was lying on top of him and Marco’s hands were underneath his shirt, feeling the tight muscles in his broad back move as he kissed Marco's lips gently but firmly. Soon, Mario’s shirt had been thrown across the room and he broke away from their kiss, smiling as he hovered above Marco.

Marco and Mario spent the following hour hugging lazily on the sofa. Although more or less fully clothed, they had entwined their limbs and kissed gently. It reminded Marco of that morning in bed with Carolin but more familiar. Marco had imagined cuddling with a man to be an unpleasant experience if you were another man. Women were soft and gentle beings whereas men just weren’t. But Mario was different. Yes, he was muscular and masculine but he was soft and curvy too. There was still a part of Mario that Marco felt he could protect on some primal level.

“Should we…I mean…do you want to maybe…really experiment?” Mario asked, suddenly bashful but Marco just frowned.

“What do you mean?” Marco asked but gasped in acknowledgement as Mario answered his question by cupping his erection over his jeans. Marco nodded in response, delirious from all the new sensations and feelings. Mario got up and sat on the sofa, quickly unzipping Marco’s jeans and Marco couldn’t help but arch his back and cry out as Mario wrapped his hand around the base of his cock.

Marco let go of a breath he didn’t even realise he’d been holding with a long and loud moan and Mario wrapped his full lips around the tip of his cock and started sucking. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back as Mario enveloped him in the warmth of his mouth and as he alternated between sucking slow and fast and hard and soft, Marco knew he wouldn’t – and couldn’t – last very long. He weaved his long fingers in Mario’s perfect hair and started swearing softly as he guided Mario’s head and began thrusting his hips up to fuck his mouth. The vibration of Mario’s moans against his cock only made Marco cry out loud as he came hard in Mario’s mouth.

“Fuck!” Was the only word Marco could manage as Mario’s head came up from his lap.

Marco couldn’t help but feel a pleasant twinge in the bit of his stomach as Mario swallowed.

 “ _I am not a faggot!_ ” Marco screamed into the mirror as the memory of his cock in Mario’s mouth ran around in his brain relentlessly, determined not to leave.


	7. Own Goal

Borussia Dortmund were playing Bayer Leverkusen at Signal Iduna Park. Mario was in the starting eleven for the first time since their game two weeks earlier and it was the first time Marco and Mario had played together for a week and a half since Klopp had given Marco permission to take the latter half of the week off as an engagement present. Marco had accepted this gratefully as long as Klopp allowed him to play the game against Leverkusen since it was the first game of the season against one of the top teams in the league. He couldn’t bear to even look at Mario’s face but he’d taken his advice on board and had made an effort to work with Mario on the pitch. Since they’d seen Mario and Marco apparently being friendly, Robert had begrudgingly started being civil to Marco again and the likes of Sven and Kevin had followed suit; this was demonstrating itself clearly on the pitch and after just twenty minutes, Dortmund were already leading 2-0 with Marco and Robert both scoring.

Marco enjoyed playing the game and wished it could go on forever. His focus was being completely dominated by the game and the crowd’s cheers made him unable to think about the “Mario episode” as he liked to call it - it didn’t even have an opportunity to cross his mind. And that was just the way he liked it. He didn’t have to think of Mario's soft lips, the warm taste of his neck or his tongue licking his-

Marco shook his head as the whistle was blown for half time and both teams departed from the pitch and back into their respective changing rooms.

Marco bit his lip as he remembered kissing Mario straight after the event and tasting himself on Mario’s lips. Mario left not long afterwards and they had parted on good terms. Carolin had come home not long afterwards expecting him to make love to her but there was no way he could, not after trying out Mario’s talented tongue.

As he took a long drink, Marco wondered absentmindedly if Carolin thought he needed Viagra.

“You’re playing well today.” Marco was snapped out of his thoughts by a grinning Mario before him.

“Thank you,” Marco answered shortly before turning his back on Mario to begin searching through his bag for his iPhone.

“Hey…I…I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come over tonight? For a drink after the game? Dinner, maybe?” Mario asked, mumbling somewhat nervously. With his back still turned, Marco closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning around, a plastic smile on his lips.

“Sorry man, I’ve got plans with Carolin tonight,” Marco shrugged as Mario frowned.

“You-you’re still with Carolin?” Mario asked and Marco watched as he swallowed hard. But Marco just shrugged and gave Mario a look of confusion.

“Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?” Marco feigned ignorance as Mario blinked at him and took a step back, scratching his arm awkwardly.

“Uh…sorry…I didn’t…sorry.” Mario mumbled before turning to go to his bench.

“That was good!” Klopp boomed as he came into the changing rooms and Marco raised an eyebrow as he saw his coach wearing what sort of resembled a smile, “But not good enough!” Marco smirked, of course it wasn’t, “Reus! Götze!” Both Marco and Mario looked up simultaneously, “You two, I don’t know where that magic has come from but keep it up! Reus, I want to see a brace from you – understand?” Marco nodded eagerly and as Klopp left the changing room, the team started discussing second half strategy, all of which included keeping Marco and Mario very much together. While Marco didn’t mind this, he could see Mario getting visibly irritated by this and he kept trying to pair himself with Robert.

“ _No_ , Mario. You and Marco work well together, let’s just leave it at that, ok?” And so Mario begrudgingly gave in and when the second half was due to start, Marco went back on the pitch with the rest of the team, feeling confident that they had the game in the bag.

How wrong he was.

Marco knew within the first five minutes that the game was not going the way it was supposed to after the flawless first half. Mario started avoiding him on the pitch straightaway.  Ten minutes in, Mario had the ball and Marco was in the perfect position for Mario to pass to him so that Marco could score. Instead, Mario tried to score himself and completely missed, leading to angry yells from Klopp on the side lines. Marco kept trying to pass to Mario but Mario would run off so that the pass would be intercepted. Worse still, Leverkusen scored and this seemed to make Mario’s behaviour even more erratic. The whole team was becoming increasingly irritated by Mario’s unusual lack of care and attention but it ultimately came to a head when Dortmund was duelling with Leverkusen at their goal and Mario inadvertently headed the ball into the goal – scoring an own goal and making Leverkusen level with Dortmund.

Unsurprisingly, Mario was immediately substituted off the pitch by Klopp.

But it was simply too late and ten minutes later, the match was over and the three points which had seemed so easy at half time had now slipped away. Marco was pissed that they had lost the match and was ready to tear in to Mario when they left the pitch and went back to the changing rooms but his mind was instantly changed when Kevin came storming into the changing room.

“Götze!” He roared, causing most of the team to stand back and watch as Kevin approached Mario, thunder marring his face, “If Bayern overtake us on the leader board, I’m going to break your fucking neck you little shit!” He yelled before Robert approached him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“C’mon, everyone fucks up sometimes, there’s no need to make threats.” But Kevin just growled.

“No need to make threats? No need? We had the three points! We _had_ them! And then this dopey little shit scores an own goal!” He shouted at Robert before turning his attention back to Mario and Marco could only watch as Kevin prodded Mario hard in the chest, “I knew it was a mistake for Klopp to put you on the first team. You should have stayed with the children where you belong!” Marco could see the tears start to spring in Mario’s eyes and he found himself grabbing the back of Kevin’s shirt to drag him out of Mario’s personal space.

“Leave him alone, Groβkreutz. Like Robert said, everyone fucks up sometimes. Don’t you think he feels bad enough already without you being a dick?” At Marco’s words, Kevin glared at Mario one last time before retreating back to his bench. Mario nodded shyly, but gratefully towards Mario before turning away to get changed.

“Götze!” Both Mario and Marco spun around at the call by Klopp and, with a gesture from their coach, Mario quickly put on another shirt and went into the small adjoining office, where the door was closed and locked. Marco slowly got changed and ready to leave, declining offers from teammates to go out for a drink as he waited for Mario, wanting to know what Klopp wanted. Klopp didn’t usually invite players to talk in private if he was going to yell at them – he much preferred to do that in public for maximum humiliation. Curiously, there was also no yelling from the office either.

Marco was the only one left in the changing rooms by the time Mario emerged, looking completely worn out and defeated. Apparently unaware that Marco was still there, he sat on the bench and held his head in his hands as he started to cry quietly to himself.

“Mario?” Marco murmured and sat awkwardly beside Mario as he, with flushed cheeks, immediately started wiping the tears away from his eyes, embarrassed as he realised he wasn’t alone.

“Oh!” Mario nervously laughed, “Sorry, I didn’t realise anyone was still here.”

“What happened?” Mario shrugged and shook his head at Marco’s question.

“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m just going to call a taxi and go home. And why are you still here anyway? I thought you had plans with Carolin.” Mario looked at Marco now with envy in his eyes.

“Oh well…yeah I did but she sent me a text, cancelling,” Marco lied, wondering if it was obvious but he needn’t have been concerned since Mario just gave him an absentminded nod and returned to his sports bag, rooting in it for something, “I…I’ll give you a ride home if you want?” Marco asked, trying to be nonchalant as he returned to his own bench and slowly packed the last of his things away.

“I’d appreciate it if it’s no trouble,” Marco looked over to Mario at his acceptance of the offer to see his red eyes smiling briefly in thanks.

“Of course, it’s no trouble.” They both got ready to leave and left the building in silence, walking side by side. They got into Marco’s Land Rover and Marco started driving down the familiar road across the city. As they drove in silence, Marco was unable to resist glancing over to the passenger seat where Mario sat, looking out of his window and Marco was more than slightly concerned to see Mario’s normally tanned face to be shadowed with a tinge of grey.

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it? I don’t m-”

“No,” Mario bit out, “I said I don’t want to talk about it earlier and I still don’t.”

“But-”

“Leave it, Marco.” So Marco did and they drove the rest of the way to Mario’s place in silence. It was only when Marco parked in the driveway that Mario turned to face him.

“Since you’re not doing anything this evening now…do you want to come in for a drink or takeout?” Marco smiled reluctantly and nodded at Mario’s request before getting out of his car and following him into his home. He followed Mario into the kitchen, who went straight to the fridge to grab a beer, throwing one over to Marco. They both cracked their cans open and took a drink as they sat down at the small wooden table.

“Klopp wants to put me on loan to a team in the 2. Bundesliga,” Mario murmured as he studied his can intensely and Marco snapped his head up in shock, “He says that my absence from training and poor performance in today’s game proves that I’m not up to being in the team anymore and I should gain more experience in a first team with more experienced players.”

“But…but you were in the team last season – he can’t put you on loan just because you’ve had a few bad weeks.” Marco tried to protest but Mario just shrugged and took a long drink from his can.

“I would accept it if this was all because I’m not good enough. I wouldn’t be happy about it, but I’d understand,” Mario was beginning to raise his voice and he snapped up his head to look straight at Marco, “It’s because of you.” Marco looked at Mario, slack jawed.

“Me?” Marco said, exasperated as Mario slammed down his can and stood up, his face clearly conveying the hurt and anger that Marco could hear in his words.

“Yes, you! You made me feel like I was some kind of homosexual predator! You made me feel like an uncontrollable _animal_. Do you know how difficult it is to be sexually attracted to men in this industry? I’ve never even had sex with a man before because I’m so fucking paranoid that the media will find out,” Mario sighed, irritated as Marco could do nothing but sit back and listen with shame on his shoulders as he did so, “Being with the team and being on the pitch is the only thing that keeps me sane sometimes and you had to come along and wreck that! I am a fucking _good_ player, Marco! But because of you I’ve missed so much training and I’ve played like an idiot! I scored an _own goal_ today, Marco! And own…I’ve _never_ scored an own goal before, never!”

“You’re not seriously saying that I’m responsible for your shit performance today?” Marco bit out, unable to hold his tongue any longer, “You did shit today because you were being selfish. I turned you down so you decided to spite me and the rest of the team by deliberately avoiding me. You didn’t pay attention and that cost us the game. We lost because of your actions. If you were really a professional, you would have been able to put it out of your mind so don’t give me all this shit that it’s all my fault. Stop being a little bitch and accept responsibility!” Marco was standing now and facing Mario from the opposite side of the kitchen, ignoring how Mario’s face was flushing red, “It’s not my fault that you seem to have some kind of thing for me and have made it your mission to get me into bed!” Gritting his teeth at Marco’s words, Mario stormed across the room and slapped him with so much force that Marco’s head jerked and he groaned as he was hit with the full force of Mario’s anger.

“You bastard! You admitted you liked our first kiss! _You_ were the one who invited me over when you ‘accidentally’ got engaged! Don’t you remember thrusting into my mouth? Don’t you remember _cumming_ in my mouth? I tasted how hard you were and you and I both know that you don’t get that hard if you’re not enjoying it!” Mario was shouting now and Marco was aghast at his crude words – he knew he couldn’t deny it.

“Ok fine! You want me to admit I enjoyed it? Fine! I enjoyed it! Of course I enjoyed it – I had a pair of lips around my cock. I didn’t care who it was!” Mario laughed as Marco spoke, only infuriating him further.

“Are you serious? Are you so immature and pathetic that you can’t even admit that you have feelings for me?” Mario asked as Marco leaned back against the kitchen counter, gripped the edge for support and sighed deeply.

“I have a fiancé,” Marco murmured, as if defeated.

“That doesn’t mean you don’t have feelings for me,” Mario lowered his tone too, approaching Marco, putting a hand on his forearm. Marco bit his bottom lip and he realised that his heart was hammering just because he could smell Mario’s vanilla aftershave and feel his body heat just inches away.

“You…you’re a good looking guy,” Marco choked out, his throat suddenly dry as Mario leaned in so he was breathing on the nape of Marco’s neck, causing Marco to whimper and before Mario could react, Marco pushed him against the counter opposite.

With his hands on Mario’s hips, Marco squeezed and pressed his wet lips against Mario’s throat softly, pressing harder as he felt the vibration from Mario’s long, loud moan. With a groan, Mario ran a hand through Marco’s annoyingly perfect hair and held him close as he kissed down to his collarbone and started unbuttoning Mario’s shirt. Mario dropped his head back as Marco pushed his shirt off his shoulders and ran his tongue over one nipple while rubbing the other with the pad of his thumb.

“So…do you admit….you have feelings for me?” Mario managed to groan out as Marco got down on his knees and kissed his toned stomach.

“You’re gorgeous,” Marco breathed against Mario’s stomach and he kissed him, “I want you so bad,” Another kiss, “Why aren’t you a woman?” Marco leaned in to give Mario another kiss when he pushed roughly at his shoulders, sending Marco falling flat on his ass.

“What the hell?” Mario half shouted as a bewildered Marco looked up at him.

“I could say the same! I thought this was what you wanted?” Mario shook his head, incredulous.

“Are you serious? I want you, Marco but I also want you to accept that I am a man and that you have feelings for a man!” Marco made no attempt to stand up as Mario spoke.

“I’m not-”

“Gay,” Mario finished for him and nodded, “Yes, I know. I’m not trying to suggest that just because you have feelings for me, you now want to shag every man on Earth,” Mario knelt down beside Marco, took his hand in his and Marco looked at him stony-faced, “Having feelings for one man does not make you gay,” Mario said quietly and Marco looked up at him.

“I lied earlier. Me and Carolin have reservations at a restaurant in like five minutes.”

“Then why-”

“You were upset,” Marco shrugged, “And I want you more than I want her,” Marco looked at Mario as he saw him swallow hard, “I do have feelings for you, Mario. I don’t want to…but I can’t help it.”


	8. A Bit of Fun

When Marco woke up in the middle of the night, he didn’t register where he was and didn’t even bother to open his eyes, he just recognised a warm pair of arms holding him lazily. His immediate reaction was to cuddle into the warm chest but when he didn’t feel the soft swell of Carolin’s breasts and was instead greeted with hard muscle, Marco recoiled slightly and his eyes snapped open.

“What the…” Marco whispered to himself as he looked up in the dim light and saw Mario sleeping deeply with his full lips parted as he breathed heavily. With the haze of sleep disappearing, Marco began to remember the night before, both relieved and slightly disappointed to remember that they didn’t have sex but just kissed and cuddled for the rest of the evening in bed. Marco hadn’t checked his phone since they were in the changing rooms the day before – a record for him – and he was dreading doing so. He’d missed the dinner reservation with Carolin and had pretty much disappeared without any explanation.

“Are you awake?” Marco swallowed hard as Mario spoke quietly, his voice thick with sleep.

“I just woke up…don’t know if I’ll get back to sleep,” Marco replied and he closed his eyes, biting his lip as Mario kissed the top of his head and stroked his hands down the side of Marco’s body, resting his hand on his hip.

“Come here,” Mario mumbled, still half asleep and moved down so he could cuddle into Marco and bury his face into the top of his chest. He wrapped his arms around Marco’s torso and he entwined their legs together loosely. Marco sighed with content as Mario began to kiss his collarbone, running his hands up and down Marco’s back while Marco began stroking Mario’s hair softly, encouragingly. Mario dragged his lips up to Marco’s throat, along his jaw and finally to his lips and Marco felt Mario smile in response to his own groan. They kissed slowly and sensually as they held each other. Marco gasped as Mario reached down to squeeze his ass and he kissed Mario harder in response. Marco broke away from the kiss as he felt Mario’s erection press against the bottom of his stomach and his own against Mario’s thigh and it was pretty clear that their boxers were becoming rather restrictive. Mario just smiled as their kiss ended and brought a hand to Marco’s face, running his thumb across his bottom lip.

“Carolin is going to kill me when I go home,” Marco whispered and watched as Mario broke eye contact with him, looking down.

“You could always tell her the truth,” Mario murmured, “Or just break up with her if you don’t want to tell her about…about me.” Marco was ready to get angry and start having a go at Mario but he stopped himself and instead kissed his cheek, reaching down to hold Mario’s hand.

“I don’t know if I can do that. I’ve been with her for a long time and I can’t end our relationship if…this…turns out to just be a bit of fun,” Marco said quietly and watched as he saw Mario’s eyes fill up with tears. Marco knew that it wasn’t just a ‘bit of fun’ to Mario but Marco simply didn’t know what it was to him yet.

“You don’t love her though.” Mario mumbled and Marco sighed as he kissed Mario’s forehead.

“I don’t love you either,” Marco winced as he spoke and immediately regretted his words as he felt Mario’s body stiffen against him before he pulled back the covers and swung his legs out of bed.

“I’ve got to go to the bathroom,” Mario mumbled, his voice clearly thick with emotion as he quickly left his bedroom for the ensuite. Marco sighed at his own lack of tact and lay back down in the warm bed for a moment before he heard a crash from the bathroom. He instantly kicked off the thick duvet and practically sprinted into the bathroom where he found Mario sitting on the floor with his back against the wall and tears falling freely down his red, puffy cheeks.

“I heard a crash,” Marco knew he sounded lame as he watched Mario cry.

“I smashed the mirror,” Mario sobbed and nodded towards the large mirror hanging on the opposite wall.

“How did you do that?” Marco asked as he knelt down beside Mario and put an arm around his shoulder.

“I punched it,” Mario mumbled as he took the opportunity and rested his head on Marco’s shoulder but still didn't make any attempt whatsoever to stop his tears, “Why can’t you just break up with her and be with me?” Marco felt a pull on his heart as Mario spoke and he reached up to stroke Mario’s hair affectionately.

“It’s not that simple,” Marco sighed.

“But why? I broke up with Ann!”

“No, you didn’t. Ann broke up with you because you told her you kissed me,” Marco said quietly, though he knew he was clutching at straws.

“You know that I only told her because I knew she’d dump me if I told her.” Mario pouted and Marco couldn’t resist leaning down and giving him a chaste kiss on his pouting lips.

“Ok, so say I did break up with Carolin. That doesn’t mean we can then be together and live happily ever after. Do you think the public will accept us? Don’t you think that we would get constant abuse hurled at us by the fans? And even if the German public accepted us, what about everyone else? What about when we play in the Champions’ League in places that aren’t so tolerant? I don’t want to be a gay footballer, Mario!”

“And you think I do? You think I don’t know all of this already?” Mario said, half still upset and half angry, “I don’t care about publicising our relationship, as long as we can have one in private then that is all I care about,” Mario looked up at Marco with a trembling bottom lip, “I don’t know what this might turn into either but you need to break up with Carolin, regardless. You don’t love her.”

They sat together in the bathroom and Marco just held Mario for a short while until he stopped sobbing quietly.

“I’m sorry. I must come across like an absolute mess.” Marco smiled with affection at Mario’s words, stroking his hair.

“It’s ok,” Marco murmured.

“You just make me emotional, I guess. I…I’ve just liked you since we played together for the national team for the first time.”

“But that was...” Marco trailed off, unable to remember.

“Last year,” Mario clarified as he sat up, “It was my first game playing in the starting eleven and I was really nervous and you were really kind to me. I couldn’t get you out of my head afterwards and I was counting down the days until we played against ‘Gladbach. I was so excited for the game and I was mesmorised by your grace on the pitch – I’m sure I spend most of the game watching you,” Marco felt his cheeks start to burn as Mario spoke, “You see, I mistook your gestures of friendship as tokens of affection. I didn’t really think you were gay, I was just being hopeful.” Mario stood up and grabbed an old t-shirt that was lying on the floor. Marco watched him, his throat thick with emotion.

“I think you’re right. I think I need to break up with Carolin,” Marco mumbled, only just loud enough for Mario to hear.


	9. ANN V1DA

Marco gathered his things and got dressed as Mario watched him awkwardly in just a pair of loose fitting jeans. Marco wanted to say something as he got ready to leave, but he didn’t know what to say.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Mario asked quietly as Marco sat on the edge of the bed, putting on his shoes.

“No. I’m not going to tell her about…whatever this is because that’s not why I’m breaking up with her.” Marco mumbled, his hands shaking slightly as he tied his laces.

“Then text me when it’s done and I’ll pick you up, ok?” Marco nodded absentmindedly as Mario spoke and followed Mario along the corridor and down the stairs, to the front door. They hugged and Marco closed his eyes as Mario kissed him, savouring the taste of his lips as they caressed his slowly. Any doubt that might have still remained in Marco’s mind about breaking up with Carolin was washed away as Mario kissed him. They felt a way that Carolin’s lips never did. They felt right.

“Good luck,” Mario whispered against Marco’s lips as their kiss ended. Marco nodded a silent thanks and they embraced one last time before Marco went to his car, pulled out of the driveway and drove off.

Marco drove across town on autopilot with his mind completely blank. All he wanted to do was finally end his ridiculous relationship with Carolin but he didn’t have any idea what he was going to say or do. He didn’t want to hurt her but he didn’t want to hurt Mario either.

As Marco pulled into his driveway, he noticed a car that he didn’t recognise – a rather bright pink Cadillac that more than slightly hurt his eyes. He briefly wondered if Carolin had ordered the monstrosity on his credit card until he caught sight of the license plate.

**ANN V1DA**

“Fuck!” Marco muttered to himself as he scrambled to get out of the car and started running to the front door. He hurriedly let himself into the house and quietly approached the voices coming from the kitchen. With his heart hammering, Marco pressed his ear to the kitchen door and began listening, silently praying as he heard Ann start to speak.

“He just doesn’t want me anymore, that’s all.”

“But why though?” Marco held his breath as Carolin spoke, not wanting to miss a single word, “You were such a good couple! I just don’t understand it, he was always all over you.”

“Well that’s sort of why I came over. He…he kissed someone else.”

“You broke up with him just because he kissed someone?” Marco heard Ann sigh heavily as Carolin spoke.

“Yes and _normally_ , I would have forgiven him. He’s a famous footballer with girls all over him, it’s to be expected, right? I mean, remember that time you caught Marco out?” Marco found himself growling quietly as Ann spoke.

“Well sure but he was only fucking some random fan. I’m hardly going to break up with him just because of some cheap whore, am I? Plus I got a rather nice diamond necklace out of it.”

“Exactly! I wouldn’t have cared normally but the thing is…he kissed a _man_.”

“Wait, _what_? Mario’s gay? And you haven’t gone to the press yet? Are you crazy? You could make a _fortune_!”

“He said he’s bisexual but I couldn’t do that to him anyway. He’s a nice guy and he’s never cheated on me before.”

“He’s a better man than Marco, then. I’ve always said that if he cheated on me again, I would be straight on the phone to the newspapers.”

“I don’t think he’d make that mistake again. How much was that necklace again? And anyway, he knows how good he had it with you…” As Ann kept chatting, it dawned on Marco that she had no idea that the man Mario kissed was him. And he had no idea that she could be so vindictive This could be a problem. If he broke up with her and she found out about Mario, she would go to the press! He could imagine the headline:

**_GAY LOVE RAT REUS BETRAYS ADORING GIRLFRIEND WITH TEAM MATE_ **

He took about five steps back from the kitchen door.

“Caro! You here?” At the sound of his voice, the kitchen door burst open and Carolin practically sprinted into Marco’s waiting arms.

“Baby! What happened to you yesterday? I was waiting for you,” She pouted and Marco couldn’t help but think that Mario’s pout was far more appealing.

“I’m sorry, baby girl, I drove Mario home and we broke down on some country lane. I tried calling you but there wasn’t any signal and by the time I got him back, I’d run out of petrol and my phone had died so I stayed there for the night. I’m so sorry, sweetie, I’ll make it up to you, ok?” Marco held her close, giving her little kisses as he spoke, which seemed to make her happy. He knew there were plenty of holes in his story but he was counting on them being to dull to pick them up. Ann lingered in the background, leaning against the kitchen door frame.

“Ann, I’m afraid I have a lot of making up to do with my beautiful girlfriend,” Marco said to Ann with a forced smile and, with an irritated pursing of her lips, she nodded and gave Carolin a kiss on the cheek.

“Well, I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it. I’ll see you, Caro.” But Carolin all but ignored Ann, just giving her a wave as she returned her full attention to Marco, stroking his face and giving him small kisses. Marco couldn’t help but sigh with relief as Ann left and he slapped Carolin’s ass.

“Right, how about you go up to the bedroom and I’ll bring up that bottle of Champagne that’s in the fridge?” With yet another giggle, Carolin nodded like an excited puppy and ran out of the room, bounding up the stairs. Marco closed his eyes and sighed as she left, running a hand through his hair as he wondered what the fuck he was doing. He came home to break up with her and now he was about to fuck her. With a shrug and another sigh, however, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind and went to the kitchen to get out the Champagne and two glasses.

Marco spent the rest of the morning and the early part of the afternoon on top of Carolin, pounding away like some kind of furious jackhammer. It was a good thing he had excellent stamina or he probably would have collapsed with a heart attack and any suggestion that maybe she would like to go on top were met with claims that she felt lightheaded from all of the Champagne. “All of” meaning one and a half glasses worth.

When he could take no more, he collapsed next to her, absolutely exhausted and ready to fall back to sleep. Carolin got up and took her obligatory shower and Marco was just on the cusp of sleep when he felt his phone vibrate.

_I thought I’d message since I haven’t heard anything. I hope it all went well. I’m so happy you’re doing this. I can’t wait to see you later xxx_


	10. Starbucks Downtown

_This is taking longer than I thought. She’s very upset. I don’t want to leave her while she’s crying like this xxx_

_It’s okay, I understand. I’ll be right here waiting for you xxx_

“Caro?” Marco murmured to the dozing blonde who was lying, wrapped in his arms. They were together in their bed, relaxing after their long session earlier in the day. Marco knew that, as far as she was concerned, everything was great and everything was fine. As far as she was concerned, they were happily engaged and about to spend the rest of their lives together.

“Mmm?” She mumbled, sleepily, cuddling into Marco’s naked chest as he kissed the top of her head.

“I’ve got to go to training for a bit soon, do you mind?” She agreed and they lay in bed for a few minutes longer. Marco couldn’t help but notice how different she felt in his arms when he compared her to Mario. She felt too light whereas Mario was more substantive – he was muscular but still curvy, still soft and gentle. Carolin was far too small.

Marco kissed the top of her head one last time before rolling out of bed and pulling on an old pair of jeans. He resolved to contact Mario, arrange to meet and tell him that the arrangement was off. He was with Carolin, he was going to stay with Carolin and that was just the way it was going to have to be. Marco got dressed, leaned over to kiss Carolin’s cheek and rushed out of the house, only stopping to grab his phone and his keys. Once he was safely out of the house and in his car, he called Mario, who picked up on the first ring.

“Marco! Are you ok? Did everything go alright? Do you want me to pick you up?” Mario babbled quickly and Marco felt a pang in his chest.

“I-I’m fine. I’m in my car now. Do you know the Starbucks downtown?”

“The one behind that shutdown cinema?”

“Yeah. Meet me there?”

“Sure, of course.” Marco hung up on Mario’s agreement, turned his engine on and pulled out of his driveway. He wasn’t looking forward to Mario’s reaction to his admission that, instead of ending his relationship with Carolin, he’d ended up fucking her instead. Marco was completely aware that he was messing Mario around but he had a right to be selfish; he couldn’t let Mario’s feelings get in the way of his life, career and public reputation. He wanted to play for the best teams in the world and he couldn’t do that if he had a reputation for fucking his teammates.

When Marco pulled into the old car park, he spotted Mario sitting in his burgundy Range Rover instantly among the pieces of old junk. Marco quickly parked and hopped out of his car, pulling his black cap low over his face as he rushed across the car park, pulling open Mario’s car door and jumping inside. Mario apparently hadn’t noticed him pulling into the car park as he greeted him with brief stun before pulling Marco in for a warm hug. Marco held on to Mario for a moment before Mario pulled away just slightly to grasp his face in his hands and give Marco a long, soft and leisurely kiss. Mario cradled Marco’s face in his hands and Marco could feel his emotion as they kissed.

“I’m so happy, Marco,” Mario gasped as he broke away from their kiss, “I know you didn’t break up with her just for me but just to know that you’re free, you know? Free for me! And I know that’s selfish and Carolin is probably hurting right now but I can’t help but feel so happy and-” Marco silenced Mario’s excited babbling with a soft kiss.

“Shh,” Marco soothed, stroking Mario’s cheek with the back of his hand, “It’s all over now, let’s go back to your place, yeah?” Mario nodded happily and started up the engine driving with haste the five minute drive to his house. Marco knew that he was being a dick. He knew he should just tell Mario he was still with Carolin but he couldn’t help but grin as they parked in the driveway and Mario ran into his house before Marco even had a chance to close his passenger side door. He couldn't help but follow Mario inside and the second the door was closed and Mario had him pushed against the door with his strong arms on either side of him, Marco couldn't help but return Mario's rough, forceful kiss. Mario bruised Marco’s lips with his own and it hurt but it was such delicious pain and Marco moaned wantonly into their kiss. It was a battle for control and Marco didn’t care that he was losing because he could taste Mario’s passion and desperation and it just tasted so fucking good.

“Let’s…” Mario paused to take a deep breath and they both looked at each other and laughed affectionately, “Let’s go upstairs,” Marco hesitated, briefly town but found himself agreeing with a soft smile and, suddenly shy, Mario took Marco’s hand in his, brought it to his lips to kiss his knuckles and led him upstairs as they returned to the bedroom they were in together just hours before. Mario sat down gingerly on the edge of his bed and Marco looked in slight amusement as he began scratching his forearm awkwardly.

“Remember I said I’d never slept with a man before? Because of the press and…things?” Marco nodded slowly, knowing exactly what was coming next, “Well, I want to sleep with you and I know you haven’t done that before and so if you don’t want to, it’s fine but I’m just saying that I feel ready to do that with you because I trust you and obviously, I’ll be bottom because you probably feel more comfortable being on top and I’ve touched myself like that before so it won’t hurt too bad and I just want you to know that-”

“Mario!” Marco cut off Mario’s rambling and he flashed Marco an apologetic, bashful smile, “Stand up,” Marco said, swallowing hard as he got ready to abandon any resolve he had about telling Mario the truth. He flashed a warm smile which made Mario bite his lip and obey his request. Marco approached him and kissed him gently before grasping the hem of his shirt and sliding it up and off him, throwing it across the room carelessly. Marco took a moment to drink in the beautiful sight of the half naked man before him just for a moment before running his hands over his sculpted chest, back and arms slowly and appreciatively as he peppered Mario’s neck with small kisses. As Marco bent and eventually got down on his knees to drag his lips down Mario’s chest and to his stomach, it dawned on him that he was about to see another man’s erection. In front of his face. And he was expected to touch it. With a deep breath, he yanked down Mario’s jeans and tight black briefs – Ralph Lauren, of course – probably rougher than was really necessary and he found himself staring, slightly bewildered, at Mario’s cock.

“Shit,” He whispered as he wrapped his hand hesitantly around the shaft and felt a slight pang of embarrassment as he realised that Mario was bigger than him – by a good two inches. Marco looked up to see Mario sucking on his bottom lip and his head tilted back with anticipation. With a deep breath, Marco wrapped his lips around the head of Mario’s cock and began sucking, completely unsure of himself but feeling a rush as he heard Mario let out a low groan. He hollowed his cheeks as he’d seen girls do to him and he sucked Mario deeper into his mouth, shivering as Mario weaved his fingers through his hair and started gently guiding him.

It was such a weird experience for Marco – it almost felt like some sort of out of body experience, to be the one sucking cock instead of having his cock sucked. He had no idea if he was even doing it right.

But Mario’s guttural moaning was a great reassurance.

“Stop…stop!” Mario groaned, pulling himself out of Marco’s mouth.

“What?” Marco looked up at Mario, still in a slight state of disbelief at the situation he’d found himself in. Mario smiled and leaned down to stroke Marco’s cheek with the pad of his thumb.

“I just…you keep doing that and I’m going to cum and I don’t want to…not yet,” Marco smirked and stood, embracing Mario again and kissing him harshly. Mario kicked away his jeans and unbuttoned Marco’s shirt, pushing it off his shoulders as he grabbed him and pushed him down onto his bed. Marco’s head was swimming as Mario knelt between Marco’s spread legs and yanked off his jeans and boxers in one swift movement. He was almost painfully hard and he hissed as Mario’s cool hand wrapped around his cock and began stroking him slowly. He groaned and threw his head back as Mario teased him, mercilessly.

“Fuck, Mario…” With a smirk, Mario hovered over him and kissed him deeply, passionately.

“Are you…are you ready?” Mario whispered against Marco’s lips and, with a hammering heart, Marco nodded eagerly and leaned up to return Mario’s kiss, “The lube is in the bottom drawer,” Mario whispered as he broke his kiss and Marco nodded, leaning over to the bedside drawer as Mario lay down on the bed. Marco found the bottle and turned over.

“Do you want to…I just don’t…uh…” Marco trailed off as he felt his cheeks burning but Mario just smiled, which comforted Marco as it was obvious he was just as nervous as he was.

“Sure,” Marco handed over the bottle and watched, both fascinated and terrified as Mario lay on his back and spread his legs wide. Mario opened the bottle, squeezed some of the thick liquid onto his fingers and slid two fingers slowly inside himself. Marco watched Mario intently as he prepared himself and he couldn’t remember ever feeling more awkward in all his life. As he finished, Mario shyly took Marco’s hand in his own and Marco kissed him softly as he got up to hover above him.

“Do it, Marco…please,” Mario whispered breathlessly as he gripped Marco’s shaking arms. Marco had never felt more painfully aroused or more shakily nervous in his whole life as he sank slowly inside Mario, groaning at the sensation; he’d never felt anything tighter or hotter wrapped around his cock and Mario’s vulnerable but trusting moans and tightening grip on his arms only made him sink further inside.

“Oh God…Marco!” Mario hissed through gritted teeth as Marco stilled his movements, still only half inside him, “Please, please touch me!” Marco leaned down and wrapped his hand around Mario’s throbbing shaft, stroking him slowly, teasingly as he started to thrust, making Mario cry out ecstatically but Marco quietened him with a long, deep and incredibly passionate kiss.

“I’m not going to last very long,” Mario choked out as Marco started thrusting slowly inside him and stroking him tighter and faster. Marco nodded in agreement – he wasn’t going to last very long either. His cock felt like it was trapped in a vice, squeezing him mercilessly.

They held each other and moved together slowly but forcefully and Marco’s stomach lurched with ecstacy as Mario began moaning and writhing beneath him with complete abandon. Mario clutched at Marco’s back with desperation, digging his nails into his shoulder blades as he pushed up against Marco’s thrusts and cried out with desperation. Marco’s head was spinning as he gathered Mario in his arms and moaned into their kiss as he thrust harder inside his lover, running his hands all over his body, marvelling at how soft, firm and perfect his body was. His head was somewhere else, somewhere he’d never been before. Lovemaking had never been so passionate or so intense. Marco couldn’t remember ever moving with someone with such synchronicity. He couldn’t remember ever being with someone who knew just what to touch and what to say. Mario’s deep groans and hot whispers into his ear were pushing him towards the edge and nothing was going to bring him back from the brink.

“Fuck. Marco!” Mario groaned with sheer desperation as he came all over Marco’s hand and their stomachs. Marco wiped his hand on the sheets and, with a soft kiss, Marco cradled Mario’s face as he slipped out of him and lay beside him. Marco took Marco’s exhausted, panting and sweaty body in his arms and stroked his back as he kissed him gently.

“You’re so gorgeous,” Marco whispered as he planted small butterfly kisses along Mario’s jawline.

“That was so…wait, you didn’t cum, did you?” Marco blushed and shrugged, bashful at Mario’s question.

“Oh…no. But it’s ok, you did so I don’t-” Marco started to awkwardly protest but Mario cut him off with a kiss and wrapped his hand around Marco’s burning erection, “Fuck! Mario, you really don’t need to-” Mario cut him off with another kiss.

“I want to,” Mario murmured and crawled down the bed, grinning as he swallowed Marco deep into his mouth and began sucking with an intensity Marco had never felt from a pair of lips before. It didn’t take long at all before Marco found himself groaning louder and thrusting hard as he came deep in Mario’s warm, wet mouth.

Marco closed his eyes as Mario crawled back up to the top of the bed and covered their naked bodies, both drenched in sweat with a thin white sheet. Marco sleepily pulled Mario to him so he was lying with his broad, strong back pressed against his chest and it wasn’t long before Marco heard Mario’s breathing become shallow as he fell asleep and he was just about to do likewise when his phone vibrated on the bedside table.

_We have an appointment with the wedding planner tomorrow! Sooooooo excited!!!! xxxxxxx_


	11. Pear Cut Diamond

“So what kind of wedding were you both thinking of? A big, lavish ceremony or something quieter and more intimate?”

“Well I was thinking-”

“We want the biggest wedding you can imagine! A complete fairytail! I want the big dress, a castle, doves, everything!”

Marco rolled his eyes at Carolin’s excitement. They had been with the wedding planner for all of five minutes and she was already wetting her pants. Marco should have known that presenting her with the engagement ring – a platinum band set with a pear cut diamond – on the same day as the first wedding appointment was a bad idea.

Marco tried to concentrate as the planner, Anja, passed them a brochure for some castle in northern Germany but all he could think about was the night before. He’d slept with a man. He’d actually _fucked_ a man. And he’d enjoyed it. He’d loved it, in fact. Marco couldn’t help but shiver as he recalled the moment he sank inside Mario but he stopped the thought, really not wanting to have an erection at that present moment. He couldn’t help but smile, however, as he remembered revelling in holding Mario afterwards as he slept, stroking his hair and peppering his soft face with kisses. Waking up late that night was like waking up in a dream; Mario’s face was buried in the crook of his neck, kissing and licking as his hands stroked up and down Marco’s back lovingly. Mario had mumbled something about the night being ‘perfect’ and his adorable wide smile was one Marco was never going to be able to forget; selfishly, he loved that he made him so happy after treating him like shit.

“Mr Reus?” The sweet, almost sickly voice of Anja addressing him snapped him out of his thoughts and he found both her and Carolin looking at him expectantly.

“Uh, I’m sorry, what?” Marco spotted Carolin pushing out her jaw as she rolled her eyes, pulling her irritated face as he made it plain that he wasn’t paying attention.

“Carolin wants a red and gold regal theme to the wedding, how does that sound?” Marco had to fight back the laughs as he realised that they were both completely serious about a red and gold theme, “And also, a summer wedding wedding, right, Carolin?” Carolin nodded excitedly. Marco raised an eyebrow at the prospect of a Christmas themed wedding in the middle of summer.

“Um, yeah sure. Whatever my Princess wants!” Marco declared, trying to put as much false enthusiasm into his words as he could. It seemed to satisfy both Carolin and Anja and they went back to chatting happily about flowers and other such nonsense. Marco resolved to pay more attention throughout the appointment and he nodded and made affirmative noises in all the right places as they discussed possible ideas for the venue, the cake, the music, the number of guests…it just went on and on and he couldn’t help but think that it was an awful lot of effort and planning for just one day when all that was supposed to matter was how much they loved each other.

Just as Marco was on the verge of ripping off his own face in frustration, the meeting came to an end and Carolin jumped up like an excitable puppy, thanking Anja and bounding out of the room with Marco trailing after her. On their way to the car, Carolin was chattering mercilessly, as if she couldn’t control herself and Marco could feel a headache coming on.

When they were sat in Marco’s Range Rover, Carolin suddenly stopped talking and turned to Marco.

“Hey, so listen, there was something I wanted to ask but I didn’t want to just spring it on you in front of Anja because I’m not sure how you’d feel about it,” Marco felt his eyes inadvertently widen on instinct and his stomach became tight. If Carolin wasn’t sure about how he felt about something, that was usually a sign that he was really going to hate it.

“What?” Carolin took his hand, running her hand up to his shoulder.

“Well, how about we sell the rights of the wedding to a magazine?” Marco stared at Carolin as if she had grown another nose on top of her head as his face fell, “I mean, think about it! We’d have stunning wedding photographs and have more money to spend on the occasion! You’re one of the most famous footballers in the country, the magazines are bound to offer quite a lot to feature our wedding exclusively!”

“No.”

“But-”

“This is not up for negotiation, Carolin,” Marco replied firmly, a scowl scored across his face, “We are _not_ selling our wedding, do you understand?” Knowing she was defeated, Carolin crossed her arms and said no more, sulking as Marco started up the car and she kept it up for the whole ride back home. As soon as Marco pulled up in their driveway, Carolin pushed open the car door and stomped out, storming into the house and slamming the door behind her. Marco sat in his car for a minute and, with a thumping heart, he got out of the car and went into his house, quickly finding her in the kitchen, pouring a glass of wine.

“I’m not going to let this go, Carolin. We are not selling our wedding.” Marco watched as Carolin slammed down the bottle and pushed the glass away.

“But why? We could get a million! That’s an extra million to spend on the wedding!” She said, clearly exasperated while Marco looked at her in disbelief.

“Exactly how much do you think I’m going to be spending on this wedding?”

“Weren’t you listening to what me and Anja were saying? She said that it could cost between one and one and a half.” Marco was pleasantly surprised.

“One and a half hundred thousand?” But Carolin frowned at him, clearly quite irritated.

“For God sake, Marco. One and a half million.” She said it so nonchalantly that Marco was positive he must have misheard her.

“I’m sorry? Do you honestly think I’m going to just write a check for over a million euros to spend on one day? Are you fucking mental?” Marco raised his voice, irritated just by her very presence.

“Don’t use profanity towards me!” Marco could feel himself start to seethe with anger as Carolin looked at him like a little Barbie doll with her doe eyes, trying to get him to feel sorry for her.

“I want you to leave.” Marco said quietly but Carolin just frowned.

“What?”

“Leave,” Marco repeated, louder now, “I want you to leave. I don’t want to be around you at the moment.” Marco turned his back to leave the room but was soon stopped by her hand firmly around his wrist.

“You’re not seriously throwing me out just because of the price of the wedding are you? I don’t care how much it costs, Marco as long as we’re together! I just want us to have the best day possible,” Her voice was softer now but Marco didn’t want to hear it. He snatched his wrist from her grasp and stepped away from her.

“You want a big flash wedding so you can show off to everyone. You want the day to be all about you.”

“That’s what a wedding is supposed to be!” Carolin whined but Marco just rolled his eyes at her, shaking his head.

“No, Carolin! The day is supposed to be all about _us_ not just you! I am sick of how selfish you are!” Marco shouted – probably louder than he intended – and Carolin just looked at him with wide, glazed eyes.

“Are you…are you breaking up with me?” She asked, her voice wobbling. Marco sighed and leaned over to cradle her face with his hand, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

“No, I love you, you know that. But I don’t want to be engaged to you,” Carolin’s jaw dropped as he spoke in utter disbelief and he dropped his hand, “I want you to go for a few days, please,” His voice was softer now and Carolin just nodded and walked past him, into the lounge where she picked up her car keys and handbag.

“I guess…I’ll see you next week then,” She murmured and Marco nodded, not turning around to look at her.

“Leave the ring on the coffee table.”


	12. Pink and White Bra

_Do you want to come over?_

_Ok. I’ll be there asap with beer._

_You’re perfect._

Marco grinned to himself as he imagined the smile he would have elicited out of Mario with his last message. He didn’t really want to be alone after throwing Carolin out and besides, Mario was the only one he wanted to see anyway. He wandered around his house and briefly wondered what he really needed with such a place. It was smaller than all of the houses he teammates owned, yes, but it was still huge with more bedrooms and bathrooms than were really necessary; he couldn’t really envisage a scenario where he would need three Jacuzzis. He knew it was more of a statement to buy a big house than anything else; if he was being true to himself, he would have bought a luxury penthouse. But of course, Carolin simply couldn’t have that.

In anticipation of Mario’s arrival, Marco grabbed a lighter as he went into the lounge and lit all of the vanilla scented candles that Carolin had dotted around the room. After lighting close to a dozen candles, Marco rushed up to his bedroom and into the walk in wardrobe, stripped off his clothes and put on a Ralph Lauren white shirt with a pair of Gucci black denim jeans. He might not be a big fan of the big house, but he definitely loved his designer labels.

As he wandered back downstairs, the doorbell rang and, with a smile creeping across his face, Marco ran down the rest of the stairs and bounded to the front door, swinging it open.

“I have-” But before Mario had the chance to present his beer, Marco stepped onto the porch and cut him off by wrapping his arms around him and kissing him, hard. Without breaking his lips away from Mario’s, Marco dragged Mario inside and snatched the beer off his, discarding it onto the table next to the front door. He shut the door and pushed off Mario’s jacket and unbuckled his belt as Marco pushed Mario against the door. But as Marco got down on his knees, Mario breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath and grabbed Marco’s shoulders to stop him as he began to unzip him.

“Marco! Marco, please…please, don’t,” Mario said softly as he gently pushed at Marco’s shoulders, stopping him.

“What?” Marco asked, looking up at him as he bit his lip.

“I don’t want to do this here. I just…I want to talk to you,” Mario said and, as Marco looked up, he registered the concerned look on his face. Marco stood and cupped Mario’s face in his left hand – much the same he had done with Carolin just an hour or so earlier – stroking the pad of his thumb against Mario’s cheek.

“Are you ok?” Marco murmured, leaning in to give him a small kiss but Mario pulled away just slightly.

“Can we sit down?” Swallowing hard at Mario’s request, Marco nodded and allowed Mario to take his hand and lead him into the lounge where the candles were burning, giving the room a deep purple glow. They sat on Marco’s white leather sofa and Mario turned towards Marco, worry etched onto his face.

“Are you ok?” Marco repeated, reaching over to take Mario’s hand back in his. His affection for Mario was growing and it was getting stronger, he knew that even if he didn’t really want to admit it, and seeing him clearly worried about something concerned Marco.

“You…you don’t regret what happened last night, do you? Because, I don’t, I really enjoyed it because I was with you and I can’t believe my first time was with you and it was so great and everything I ever hoped for and you were great and really lovely and I just hope you-”

“Mario!” Marco cut him off, “You’re rambling again,” Mario blushed and smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry.”

“Why would you think I regretted it?” Mario shrugged at Marco’s question, biting his lip.

“It’s just that you’ve been protesting that you’re not gay so much and, let’s face it Marco, you had gay sex with me. You…” Mario’s voice started to break, “You made love to me and I experienced such a strong outburst of emotion and feeling towards you because I feel like you gave me so much love. But when I woke up this morning, you’d already left and I just felt like all that love had been ripped away.” Marco sighed to himself as Mario spoke – he had left Mario’s place at 3AM that morning and he knew it had been a bad idea to do so without waking Mario up. But he’d needed to get back before the day had actually begun, that way he could convince Carolin that he had gone out with the guys. He certainly didn’t need her thinking that he’d been fucking another random chick.

“I’m sorry that I left, I was just a bit confused and I couldn’t sleep and I needed some space but I don’t want you to think that that’s anything to do with you, ok? I don’t regret anything, Mario. I mean, I was just about to suck your dick when you arrived, does that seem like regret to you?” Mario managed a small smile at Marco’s words and shook his head.

“Last night just meant a lot to me and I know that it probably didn’t mean as much to you but-” Marco cut Mario off again, but this time it was with a long, slow and soft kiss, cradling his face gently as he did so.

“It meant a lot to me too. I’ve never felt so close to someone before,” Marco whispered, “Do you understand?” Mario nodded, blinking hard, trying to stop tears falling from his bloodshot eyes.

“I just…don’t want to just fuck you. I don’t want to be just a fuck. I want to love you Marco and I want you to…eventually…love me,” Mario whispered, barely audible, as if he was scared to let the words out. Marco swallowed hard as he listened to Mario speak and he could feel his stomach tighten and his mouth go dry.

“Are you…” Marco trailed off as he tried to get the words out, “Are you saying that you love me?” Mario shrugged, shaking his head.

“No. Not yet, anyway. I am saying that I am falling pretty hard and pretty fast and I don’t want to be a meaningless experiment.” When Mario stopped talking, Marco stood and took his hand, helping him up. As they stood, Marco wrapped his arms around Mario’s waist.

“This is no experiment. The thought of sleeping with any man other than you makes my stomach turn. You are unique, Mario. I know I caused you a lot of pain and I promise that I will make it up to you. I don’t ever want to hurt you again.”

As Mario threw his arms around Marco and held him tight, Marco closed his eyes and silently sighed. He knew he was being a dick, he knew he was giving Mario false hope and he knew that there was no way a relationship with Mario could ever have a happy ending. But with Mario’s feelings apparently being quite intense, Marco reasoned that he was simply giving him a bit of happiness that he wouldn’t otherwise have. Marco reasoned that he was giving Mario the calm before the inevitable storm.

“Why is there a bra on that armchair?” Marco froze in his embrace with Mario, his eyes widening almost comically as he heard Mario speak. He sprung away from Mario and snapped his head over to the offending piece of furniture but he just stood there, speechless as he saw the lacy pink and white bra just lying on the arm of the chair, “Marco?” Marco swallowed hard as Mario spoke, his voice audibly shaking. With a nervous laugh, Marco just shook his head and forced a smile.

“Silly cow must have left it here! I’ve been finding her damn things everywhere since she left. Sorry baby,” Marco smiled sympathetically at a clearly emotional Mario and wrapped his arm around his waist, “Shall I get rid of it?” Mario avoided eye contact and shrugged, “Don’t be jealous. It’s just a bra, she’s not here anymore and that’s what matters, right?”

“I need a drink.” Mario shrugged himself out of Marco’s hold and hurried out of the room, grabbing the six pack of beers he brought, bringing them into the kitchen. Marco picked up the bra and, with a sigh, went after Mario, following him into the kitchen where he found Mario cracking open a beer, slumped on a chair beside the kitchen table.

“It’s just a bra, Mario,” Marco mumbled, holding it awkwardly as Mario looked up and at the bra with disgust scored across his face.

“It’s not just a _bra_ , Marco. Can’t you see? It’s a reminder that _she_ was here. It’s a reminder that you loved her! _That_ ,” He pointed to the bra, still in Marco’s hand, “couldn’t have been on that chair for very long so now I’m just got the image of you two fucking in the lounge and I just…fuck, Marco. Sometimes I just wish I was a girl so it was easier for you to love me. You know what, never mind. Just get rid of it. I think I’m going to go home.” Mario stood up, drinking the rest of his can before throwing it across the room and pushing past a stunned Marco.

“Mario, I-”

“I’m not in the mood, Marco. Please, just leave it. I’ll see you at training tomorrow,” Mario called at he walked down the hallway and to the front door.

“But-”

“Bye!”


	13. Scum

_As long as you love me_  
We could be starving  
We could be homeless  
We could be broke  
As long as you love me  
I’ll be your platinum  
I’ll be your silver  
I’ll be your gold  
As long as you la la la la la la...

“Götze! Turn off that fucking phone!” Klopp barked as Mario rooted around in his sports bag, desperately trying to find his iPhone to switch off the incredibly embarrassing ringtone. Marco could see he was bright red and the sniggers from most of the team certainly weren’t helping, “Götze!” Klopp yelled just as Mario eventually found and turned it off, his face now the brightest shade of red Marco had ever seen on a human’s skin.

“Sorry, Sir.” When Mario sat back on the bench and the team quietened down to resume listening to Klopp’s terrifying ‘motivational’ pre-match speech, Marco dared to look up and catch Mario’s eye, giving him a knowing smile.

“I got fifty euros that says that ringtone was for a message from Ann-Kathrin,” Kevin whispered to Marco, interrupting his chain of thought.

“They’re over,” Marco frowned in return but Kevin just shrugged.

“So? I reckon they’re still fucking,” Kevin smirked as Marco swallowed hard.

“Why?”

“I saw some condoms and lube in his bag the other day. He told me before he liked fucking her ass more than fucking her p-”

“Groβkreutz!” Klopp shouted abruptly, “Would you like to share?” Kevin stared at his coach with wide eyes shaking his head and Marco couldn’t help but smirk at him, “I wasn’t asking.” Nodding, Kevin brazenly stood up and cleared his throat.

“I was just saying that Götze enjoys anal, Sir.” Marco watched Mario as Kevin spoke and instantly felt guilty for wanting to laugh as he saw his face fall and his big hazel eyes glaze over. Klopp glared at Kevin as he sat back down.

“I see,” He mused briefly before turning to the other side of the room to point at Sven, “Bender! You’re playing in Groβkreutz place in today’s match, understand?” Stunned, Sven nodded and Marco noted how he avoided looking over to Kevin. Probably for fear of death by glaring.

Marco returned his attention to Mario, who was blinking rapidly to keep his tears at bay and Marco knew that he was paranoid and terrified about his gay tendencies being exposed. Marco tried to catch Mario’s eye to send him a reassuring smile, but Mario was clearly trying to avoid looking in his direction. They hadn’t spoken since Mario had spotted Carolin’s bra in Marco’s living room and left in a jealous huff. But it still made Marco smile that Mario had _As Long As You Love Me_ as his ringtone for him, knowing that it was his favourite love song. Since they hadn’t spoken or communicated in any way for a few days, Marco decided to send him a sweet little text while they were getting changed:

_You look gorgeous today x_

He thought Mario would have had the sense to put his phone on silent.

The game was a big and important one. It was against Bayern Munich and losing Kevin from the team was a blow, especially with Robert being out due to injury. However, despite the added pressure on him to perform well, Marco was distracted throughout the whole game. He found himself shadowing Mario like some kind of lost puppy and he was constantly trying to catch his eye. He didn’t even hear Klopp screaming at him, telling him to leave Mario “the fuck alone and start fucking scoring” but Marco just had tunnel vision. He only saw Mario; he didn’t see anything or anyone else and scoring goals – even in such an important game – suddenly became unimportant.

Marco was concerned that Mario wasn’t playing very well. He was playing terribly, in fact. He seemed to be completely unaware that the object of the game was to get the ball and score goals. More than once he completely missed passes from teammates which were completely open. It was as if he was putting more effort into avoiding Marco than actually playing the game. It unnerved Marco and when half time came, Mario disappeared with Klopp and didn't return.

Concentration was easier in the second half. Klopp had substituted Mario off the pitch and Marco was able to play the game much more competently, though still not as well as he would have liked since his head was still filled with thoughts about Mario.

The game finished with Dortmund winning 1-0 thanks to a last minute goal by Bender, who seemed to be only too thankful to have justified his appearance in the match.

Mario was not in the changing rooms when the team returned there and neither were his things. Klopp ignored questions about the absence and Marco felt his stomach start to turn. He didn’t need to be a genius to work out that this wasn’t normal and wasn’t good. For a brief moment, Marco wondered if Klopp had fired Mario and sent him straight home but he shook his head, rolling his eyes at the absurdity of the thought. Mario was under contract and Klopp couldn’t just fire him for having a bad first half. And it wasn’t _that_ bad.

Other members of the team tried to talk to Marco as he got changed but he shrugged them off, mumbling that he was in a rush. He skipped the shower, gathered his things together, jumped into his car and speeded across town, wincing as he drove past a speeding camera.

“If I’ve got another speeding ticket because Mario’s being a little bitch again, I’ve going to slit his fucking throat.”

Marco intended to go to his house just to drop off his things and grab some wine as a sort of peace offering before heading to Mario’s place but all that was thrown into disarray when he arrived at his house and found that his driveway was full.

Mario’s Range Rover was occupying his usual space.

And Carolin’s Cadillac was occupying the other.

Marco found himself so frozen in place that he was sure the blood in his veins had turned to ice. With his heart racing and his breath shallow, he wiped his forehead. He wanted to get out of the car and run inside but he thought his legs might collapse under him. Taking a deep breath, Marco opened his door and felt as if he was moving in slow motion as he approached his front door, his head spinning and his legs shaking.

He opened the front door and stepped inside cautiously. He expected to hear screams, shrieks and the sound of crashing but he heard nothing. He cautiously paced down the hallway and began to hear hushed voices coming from the kitchen.

With a shaking hand, Marco took hold of the kitchen door handle and turned it, opening the door. He found Mario slumped on the table with his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking slightly as Carolin rubbed his back soothingly. Her face was bright red, tears slowly streaming down her face as she comforted Mario who seemed to be oblivious to the fact that Marco had come into the room.

Carolin, however, had not.

“You disgust me,” She hissed as she kept rubbing Mario’s back, her face scored with anger. At her comment, Mario snapped his head up and in that instant, he broke Marco’s heart. His face was flushed bright red and his face – his beautiful, chubby, adorable face – was stained with tears but, more importantly, it was stained with hurt, anger and betrayal.

“M-Mario, I-”

“You slept with me on the same day that you slept with her,” Mario murmured, his voice laced with hurt but still confident and assertive. Both Carolin and Mario looked up at him but Marco focused solely on Mario.

“Mario-”

“You _fucked_ me straight after you fucked _her_!” Mario yelled, kicking his chair back and standing up, “You took my virginity, Marco! Does that mean _nothing_ to you?” Mario screamed, storming over to Marco and standing chest to chest with him, their faces only mere inches away from each other’s, “You took my virginity just hours after fucking her and then you left me feeling used to go to a fucking wedding appointment,” Mario’s voice was quieter now, his tone steely and determined a Marco swallowed hard, blinking to keep his stinging eyes calm, “I came here today to make up with you and actually _apologise_ for over reacting, can you believe that? Do you know why Klopp sent me home during half time? He decided that I am too immature to cope with being in the team anymore. He’s loaning me to FC Pauli! I’m going to the second league, being sent halfway across the country because of you. All you have done since you transferred to Dortmund is mess me around, fuck with my head and now…now I find out that you stole my virginity. You are scum, Marco Reus. Scum.”


	14. The End

“Ann-Kathrin told me you kissed Mario. I thought that was why you were acting so strange. I came over here to tell you that I don’t care and that I love you and I still want to be with you. Can you believe that? I came over here to console you! To tell you that kissing one guy doesn’t matter to me! But you were having an affair with him. You jumped from my bed to his. You fucked him when my pussy was still wet on your dick. I don’t deserve this, Marco. _Mario_ doesn’t deserve this. Don’t you understand that that boy loves you? When I came here and found him here, I asked him what he was doing here. He didn’t even need to say anything. I could see the love he has for you in his eyes. Mario and I? We are good people, Marco and we don’t deserve this. If you didn’t want to be with me, you should have left me. But you couldn’t, could you? You’re such a coward! Instead of leaving me, you decided you would be _selfish_ , have us both and break our hearts.” Marco was hardly listening as Carolin spoke. They were all sat around the wooden kitchen table, Carolin beside Mario and Marco opposite them.

“You have to choose. Me or Mario.” Marco closed his eyes and sighed, heavily.

“I can’t,” Marco murmured, peering at them both, “I can’t choose.”

“You _can’t choose_?” Carolin asked, incredulous, “Are you serious?” But Marco just shrugged, “Fine. If you can’t be a man and choose, you don’t get either of us,” She stood up and took hold of Mario’s hand, a move which unnerved Marco, “Let’s go, Mario.” But Mario snatched his hand out of Carolin’s with his eyes still fixed firmly on Marco.

“No. I’m staying.” Carolin put a hand on his back, glaring at Marco.

“You don’t need to do this to yourself, Mario. Come on, let’s leave him and get on with our own lives.” But Mario just shook his head.

“No. I want to talk to him.” Marco swallowed, uncomfortable by how secure and confident Mario sounded. His face was no longer streaked with tears and his voice was strong.

“Mario-”

“I said I want to talk to him.” Mario persisted and Carolin shook her head as she grabbed her purse.

“If you think that there’s anything left to be said then you’re a fool,” She hissed at Mario, “And you,” She turned towards Marco, “You’re just a cunt.” With a token parting scowl, Carolin stormed out, slamming the kitchen door behind her. Marco and Mario sat together in silence for a moment until they heard the front door slamming shut.

“Why, Marco? Why did you do this to me? Do you hate me or something? Was this some kind of extreme revenge just because I thought you were gay?” Marco couldn’t help but look at Mario aghast, appalled by the words he was saying.

“Hate you? Mario, I could never hate you!” Marco protested but Mario just shook his head angrily.

“Why did you do it then?” Mario growled.

“I…I don’t know!” Marco whined, panicking. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know the answer.

“Are you just that selfish? Did you enjoy having Carolin at home, playing the dutiful girlfriend – oh no, I’m sorry, _fiancé_ – and creating a nice happy home for you to live in while you got your kicks from knowing that one of your teammates was just there for the taking? Did you get a thrill from knowing that I wanted you? Was it the power? Was it-”

“Shut up!” Marco roared, standing up forcefully, he lay his hands on the table and sighed, dropping his head, “Don’t you get it, Mario? Don’t you understand that this is what I’m used to?” Mario frowned as he looked up.

“What are you talking about?” Mario asked as he turned to see Marco push himself away from the table and go to the fridge, pulling out a can of beer and cracking it open, taking a long drink at the sound of Mario’s question. He laughed and wiped his lips.

“Do you think I’ve ever been faithful to Carolin? Surely you’re not that _naïve_ , Götze?” Mario flinched as Marco addressed him by his surname, “I know you think that relationships are sacred and special and all that fucking nonsense but they aren’t like that in the real world! I can’t even tell you how many other women I’ve fucked since I got together with Carolin. Just nameless, faceless chicks who didn’t mean shit to me.” Mario scoffed and shook his head.

“Not everyone is like you.” Marco laughed as Mario spoke and took another drink.

“Are you serious? Do you think that Mats is faithful? Or Robert? Or Kevin? Or any other footballer? No! They aren’t!” Marco barked, “And all of their women know it too!”

“So if everyone is so cool with all of this then why did Carolin just leave you?”

“Because you’re a guy you fucking idiot!” Marco shouted at a dumbfounded Mario.

“What difference does it make?” Mario shouted back and stood up to face Marco again. Marco laughed right in Mario’s face.

“What diff- Seriously Mario, how stupid are you? If the press found out that I fucked another woman, it would be forgotten pretty soon and no one would really care. They find out I fucked a _man_? She’ll be ridiculed for the rest of her life. Known as the girl who turned her footballer fiancé gay!”

“Are you trying to tell me that because everyone else fucks around then you have the right to treat me like dirt? Tell me what I have done to make you do this to me. Tell me!” Mario shouted and Marco could see the plea in his eyes. Poor Mario, so easy to read.

“This is not a fairy tale, Mario. We will _not_ live happily ever after! Not that you would even want to be with me now anyway.” Mario scoffed as Marco spoke, shaking his head.

“I’m not as sick as you. I can’t just turn off my feelings. The very thought of you never being in my arms again _terrifies_ me! Knowing that I have to reject you now is breaking my fucking heart!” Mario cried, stamping his foot like a petulant teenager. Marco grabbed him, holding him steady as he clutched Mario’s biceps and forced them both to look at each other.

“You don’t have to reject me,” Marco murmured, smiling as he raised a hand to stroke across Mario’s cheek. Mario shut his eyes tight and groaned.

“Don’t do this to me,” Mario whispered, “Don’t take it all away and then give it back to me just like that. Like it doesn’t matter. Like it’s not important. Like _I’m_ not important.”

“I’ve fallen for you, Mario. Harder than I ever fell for Carolin or any other woman. Not because you’re a man but because you’re _you_. You’re sweet and kind and I’d do anything for you.” Marco snaked an arm around Mario’s waist as he spoke but Mario still couldn’t bring himself to meet his eyes.

“Yeah, anything except leave your girlfriend, right?” Mario spat.

“She knows now. We can be together.” Marco whispered but Mario just shook his head.

“Be together? How? What kind of a relationship involves not telling anyone that it exists? What kind of a relationship is a secret? Will I have to stay at home when you go out, knowing that you’re fucking some random woman? Will I have to let you make love to me while knowing that you’d prefer me if I had a pussy? No! I won’t do that, Marco. I refuse to be your experiment.” And with that, Mario pushed Marco away firmly and left the kitchen, heading for the front door. Panicking, Marco went after him.

“Mario, come on, stay!” But Mario just shook his head.

“It’s done. It’s all done!” Mario called without even turning around. Mario walked down the hallway, reached the front door and went to open it.

“I…I love you!” Marco shouted out in desperation, making Mario stop in his tracks, his hand on the door handle. He spun around and gave Marco a look of shock, desperation and plain despair.

“You… _what_?”

“You heard me,” Marco muttered as he looked down at his feet.

“Look at me and say it again.” Mario demanded but Marco just kept looking down at the floor, “I said LOOK AT ME!” Mario roared. Marco looked up and shrugged, trying to be nonchalant.

“Yeah, I love you. So what?”

“So prove it.” Mario crossed his arms and looked at Marco with steely determination while Marco returned his gaze with confusion.

“How?”

“Marry me.” Mario glared at Marco with a triumphant look on his face, a smirk upon his lips as he thought he had finally caught Marco out. But Marco just looked Mario straight in the eye.

“Two men can’t get married in this country.” But Mario just shrugged.

“Then we’ll have one of those civil union thingies. Come on Marco, if you’re really serious about being in love with me, then you’ll prove it,” Mario smirked and Marco knew that he thought he had caught him out.

“Alright then,” Mario’s jaw dropped at Marco’s acceptance of his proposal.

“What?” Mario gasped, shocked by Marco’s answer.

“I’ll prove it. Let’s go to the city hall right now and get one of those civil unions done.” Marco shot back, crossing his arms while Mario just stared at him, aghast.

“Are you serious?” Mario whispered, as if he was afraid of Marco’s answer.

“I’m serious.” Marco changed his smirk into a smile and Mario returned his smile, biting his lip and looking somewhat sheepish.

“You…you need to propose.” Mario muttered, blushing as Marco laughed.

“I’ve already asked…Ok, ok. Fine,” With a grin, Marco approached Mario and got down on one knee, taking Mario’s left hand in both of his, “Mario Götze, will you do me the greatest honour of agreeing to be my civil…partner…thing?” With an ecstatic smile, Mario nodded eagerly and pulled Marco up, enveloping him in a big bear hug.

“Fuck Marco, yes! Yes I’ll be your civil partner thing!” Mario squealed and they both laughed as they hugged each other tightly, “Let’s go now!” Mario shouted and grabbed Marco’s hand along with his car keys. With their hands entwined, they ran out of the house and to Mario’s Range Rover.

Marco could hardly believe what was happening. Half an hour ago he had nothing; no girlfriend, no boyfriend and no relationship whatsoever. The man he loved had told him he was scum and that he was a heartbreaker. Marco had had his heart broken by knowing how he had caused Mario to feel. He didn’t think he’d ever get that haunted look Mario had scored across his face erased from his memory. And now? Now he was in Mario’s Range Rover and they were driving across town to go to City Hall and become civil partners.

“Our names will be on public records, remember. It will go to the press and everyone will know before the weekend is out.” Marco cautioned as the thought came into his head but Mario just shrugged – nothing was going to erase the smile from his face.

“I don’t care. For two years I’ve been so worried about what people would think if they knew I liked men as well as women and now…I don’t care! I don’t care, Marco! If it ends our careers, so what? We get to be together and that is all I fucking care about right now!” Mario cried, his smile so wide as they drove. Marco could tell how excited Mario was by the way he drove; the normally cautious Mario was actually speeding.

“Do you think we should tell Carolin?” Mario asked, “I mean, we should probably tell her before the press find out. Otherwise the shock might cause her to…I don’t know, make up shit and go to the press with it! If we explain and soften the blow, she’ll be less likely to do that.” And without sealing Marco’s approval, Mario pulled off at the next junction and immediately turned around, leaving Marco breathless and confused.

“Woah, Mario!” Marco shouted as Mario turned around and started heading for Carolin’s apartment, “Do you really think this is a good idea? This woman still loves me and she _just_ found out that I’ve been fucking you! Do you really think she’s going to be happy for us? Because she won’t be!” But Mario’s eyes were glazed over and Marco could tell he wasn’t really listening. They pulled off from the main road onto a quieter, village road but Mario didn’t slow down.

“I just think it’s the right thing to do, you know? I think it’s courteous. I think she has a right to know, you know?” Mario put his foot down and suddenly the happy glow blurring Marco’s thoughts started to fade.

“I really don’t think that it’s a good idea, Mario!” But Mario paid him no notice as he pulled into the village on the outskirts of Dortmund where Carolin was staying temporarily with her sister. Still Mario didn’t slow down, “Mario! Slow down!” But Mario didn’t listen as he sped across the village and got closer to the apartment block.

“The quicker we get there and get out, the quicker we can get married!” Mario was going so fast he completely missed the turn in to Carolin’s apartment block. He realised his mistake and quickly turned around. Marco clenched his hands tightly.

“Mario! Slow down!” He shouted angrily but still Mario paid him no mind, even as a bright pink Cadillac pulled out and-

“MARIO!” Marco screamed but it was too late.

Time seemed to suddenly slow down for Marco in the instant that Mario collided his Range Rover with Carolin’s Cadillac. Marco jumped in his seat but Mario head was forced hard against the steering wheel – his seat belt apparently not done up correctly. Mario’s piercing scream as the steering wheel smashed against his face felt like background noise to Marco, who could only see Mario’s limp body in the driving seat. Marco wanted to rip off his seat belt and check to see if Mario was alright – his whole body was screaming at him to do just that – but he couldn’t. He couldn’t move.

Marco suddenly realised that he was hot. He could feel heat. But the Range Rover wasn’t on fire, the car they were in was still quite cool. Then Marco registered that they had hit Carolin’s car.

Now it was engulfed in flames.

In that split second before he passed out, all Marco could see was a roaring fire just feet away from him and Mario’s apparently lifeless body slumped beside him.


End file.
